Light and Shadow
by MiniJen
Summary: As darkness covers Hyrule once more, the ties of love, loyalty and destiny between the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero are put to the ultimate test. Power will be purified, wisdom will be weakened, and courage will be corrupted. But at the end of it all, will light triumph over shadows, or will chaos cover all? Post TP. Book 3 of the Bound Destinies Trilogy.
1. Preface

**Light and Shadow**

**Book 3 of the Bound Destinies Trilogy**

_**Author's Preface**_

_**(Please read before continuing!)**_

"_There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."  
-Maya Angelou_

_The above quote could not be any more true._

_I have waited weeks, MONTHS, to finally start writing Light and Shadow and now, I am quite happy to say that the time has finally come! LIGHT AND SHADOW IS HERE! Yeah, some of you might be wondering why I'm doing this before Wisdom and Courage is even finished, well allow me to say that I will finish W&C before we get into any of the really spoilery parts of L&S, so be at ease there! I simply couldn't wait to write this any longer and so I decided I might as well finally get it off the ground! Now, before I begin, I must say that for anyone who is unfamiliar with my Bound Destinies Trilogy, PLEASE go read the first two entries of the trilogy: Blood and Spirit ( s/9474719/1/Blood-and-Spirit) and Wisdom and Courage ( s/8664013/1/Wisdom-and-Courage). Thanks!_

_But, if you have already done so, then allow me to say: LUCKY YOU! Now you may enjoy Light and Shadow to your heart's content, just as I am certain that I will while writing it! I have so many wonderful ideas for this story, and it is my pleasure to say that I already have a ton of it planned out already! Now before we get to the summary of the story, allow me to say that first of all, Light and Shadow, as the third and final book in the trilogy, is set in the aftermath of Twilight Princess, like several months after the plot ends. It draws a lot off of Ocarina of Time and Wisdom and Courage, which is why I HIGHLY suggest you read it first before coming here (as well as Blood and Spirit, the foundation for the trilogy as a whole). Now, for Light and Shadow itself, allow me to just say that this is by far going to be the most INTENSE thing I have ever written. There's no holding back this time, and if you thought I didn't hold back before, be prepared to see just out wild I go with this one! So what exactly does that mean for the story itself? Well… we'll have TONS of angst, lots of drama, romance, A TON of action, mystery, lore, hurt/comfort, friendship and pretty much every other genre you can think of! Also, we'll have Zelink, because I MUST SHIP IT, references to B&S and W&C, MM, TP, SS and OoT references, and a ton of unexpected twists and turns along that way that will leave you on the edge of your seat for sure… ;)_

_Now for the summary of L&S itself… In the aftermath of Ganondorf's defeat, Midna parted ways with Link and Zelda, and both the kingdoms of light and shadow began to rebuild and heal. But what none of them could have expected was the sudden attack of Verona, the Queen of Shadows on the Twilight Realm. After fleeing from her kingdom, Midna arrives back in Hyrule just in time for Zelda's coronation, as the princess and the hero are starting to build a budding relationship, in order to warn them both of the coming evil. However, none of them are prepared when Verona arrives in Hyrule, casting a veil of eternal night upon the kingdom, imprisoning its new queen and placing a deadly curse upon its hero. However, unlike her ancestor Veran, Verona knows well that the key to victory lies not only in the destruction of the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero. Instead of simply trying to end them both, the Queen of Shadows devises another plan instead: one that will tear the queen and the hero apart once and for all, severing the ties of love and destiny between them. As unnerving secrets about the Triforce and its power come to light and the land faces an eternal age of darkness, Verona begins to work in the shadows to turn Link and Zelda against one another, replacing kindness with bitterness, love with hatred and light with shadows…._

_Ok, so sorry if the summary sucks! I'm not very good at them, but allow me to say that I DO have a plan for this story and I am already so incredibly excited for it, so you know it's gonna be good! But, before we dive in, I must warn you that this story is rated T for several reasons: torture, violence, graphic depictions of such violence, frightening imagery and some mild suggestive themes…_

_But anyway, I think I've rambled enough for now, so I suppose I will just get right to it! Please don't forget to show your support with REVIEWS mostly, but also follows and favorites! And with that said, let's FINALLY dive right into Light and Shadow… next time! :D_

_~MiniJen_


	2. Turmoil in the Twilight

_Ok, my beautiful people! So, as was the case with Blood and Spirit (and Wisdom an Courage), I do plan on responding to my reviewers before each chapter, mostly because I'm already anticipating your reactions to a LOT of stuff and I know that you all will want to hear what I have to say (I hope!) But anyway, I can already tell that you guys are just as excited for this as I am, so I won't keep you here for too long. Thank you to GO ZeldaXLink, Havarth, LooneyCat55, Nintendoman01, Puxie, RandomButLoved and Legionary Prime for following/favoriting! Now onto the reivews!_

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: Well... I suppose that's ok, but you might get a few spoilers for B&S and W&C, though L&S can stand as a solo piece for the most part, I'd like to think. So enjoy!_

_**RandomButLoved**: Thanks! I like Verona's name too (especially since it sounds like Veran, Veress, ect.), And Yes, I can promise you that this story will be AMAZING (hopefully I'm not getting too far ahead of myself!)_

_**LooneyCat55**: I've been having that feeling when it comes to L&S for so long now and so it feels so good to finally write all of my ideas out for it! :D_

_**GO ZeldaXLink:** Indeed. I've been wanting to get L&S out for ages it feels like, and I am very eager to unleash all of my ideas for it out for everyone to see!_

_**Legionary Prime**: Yeah, since this is sorta a sequel to Twilight Princess, it would be important to know the plot, since it takes place like a few months after it ;D_

_Alrighty, now before we begin, I'd just like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already shown support for this story, even if it hasn't officially begun yet! I promise you that I won't let you down! And with that said, I now humbly (FINALLY!) present..._

* * *

**Light and Shadow**

_Chapter 1: Turmoil in the Twilight_

"_The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"  
-Ganondorf, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess_

The Twilight Realm was on the verge of collapse once again.

It had scarcely seemed like several months had passed since the fall of the usurper king, Zant, and now, the peaceful residents of the darkened world were facing an all new threat, one that was much more destructive and deadly. The people of the Twilight Realm had been ill-prepared to face this unexpected onslaught to say the least, as they were all still trying to recover from the last attack upon their homeland, and none of them could have seen this strike coming even if they had been ready for it. The vast legions of wicked forces had set upon the central complex near the royal palace and had overpowered most of the Twili forces with ease. Already the area had gone up in smoke as the people who lived nearby fled for their lives, lest they be slaughter by the mindless, rampaging shadow beasts that had invaded their home and attacked their kingdom.

Even the normally fortified Palace of Twilight was not safe from the violent attack, something that had been proven the moment its guards were slaughtered and its thick doors crashed in. The siege had been going on for hours, and even if the shadow beasts had managed to make their way in fairly easily, the loyal Twili guards had been through such a savage attack before when Zant had let a similar strike upon the palace months ago. And so, the loyal forces were able to hold their own in battle against the monsters for quite some time, but even still, the dark creatures kept coming without end, even despite the vast numbers they struck down. All too soon, the enemy pressed their way past the last line of defense and burst into the throne room of the palace, ready to follow through on their orders to take down the leader of the Twilight Realm herself.

The one thing that none of the shadow beasts could have been expecting however, was the strong blast of power that annihilated about five of them as they entered into the throne room. The Twili guards who all stood throughout the room, ready to fend off their foes, all turned back and looked to their princess in amazement as she formed another orb of scarlet energy over her palm, her normally kind and benevolent face replaced with a piercing, furious glare. Like the rest of her people, Midna had faced such a threat before, but this time, she had no intentions of running or hiding now. This time, she planned of staying by her kingdom and fighting for it with everything she had, even if she lost it all in the process.

Even despite the obviously strong magic that the Twilight Princess wielded, the shadow beasts kept coming nonetheless, their numbers seemingly endless as they pounced upon the significantly weaker guards. While Midna did everything in her power to protect her own loyal defenders, she found that she could only do so much. After all, there was only one of her and already she was starting to feel worn from the strain that using so much magic at once was putting upon her. But she did not give up, not even for a single second, for she knew that her domain could not fall into the hands of evil. Not again.

When Zant had attacked, things had been so much different. The Twilight Princess had been so young and naive back then. Her selfishness and her own fear had blinded her from seeing what was truly important: the lives of her people. And in her foolishness, she had fled from her people, cursed and terrified, to the world of light, where her main motivation had been reclaiming her own form and glory rather than peace and salvation for her fallen kingdom. And yet, in her relentless search for a way to defeat the usurper king, she had found something else instead, something that she had not known that she ever needed before. She had found selflessness, kindness, honesty, and most of all, courage. And she owed it all to the one who had been her constant companion throughout those many months of wandering through the world of light, for just as she had been there for him as he struggled on his own destined path, he had been there to show her a path that had led her to becoming a better monarch when it was all said and done. And even more than that, Midna knew that even though their relationship had stated off very rough, they had grown to become the closest of friends by the end of it all, which had made leaving him behind all the more painful.

The Twilight Princess shook her head to clear it of such distracting thoughts as she focused on the task at hand: ridding her home and kingdom of these violent marauders. Though most of her guards lay either dead or indisposed around her, Midna remained standing, even if her powers were steadily growing weaker and her breathing had grown heavy from all of the exertion she was putting upon herself. However, as she took a moment to catch her breath, she suddenly noticed that all of the shadow beasts had fallen back, lowering themselves to the ground in reverence for some reason as they finally ceased their attack. The Twilight Princess looked at them in wary confusion for a moment, before a sudden voice spoke from behind her, immediately catching her attention from its first word.

"My, my, Midna… It certainly has been a while…"

Midna's eyes widened in shock as she hesitated for a moment, before slowly turning her head to see the woman who had wrongfully seated herself upon the royal throne. "Verona…" the princess growled as she glared at the other Twili woman, scolding herself for not guessing that she had been responsible for all this chaos.

Verona grinned calmly, her dark red lips curling up in perverse amusement as she sat casually upon Midna's throne as if she owned it. "You don't look very pleased to see me, cousin," she said knowingly, a hint of superiority in her tone.

"That's because I'm not," the Twilight Princess retorted sharply, her fists clenching tightly at her sides. Midna and Verona had quite a difficult history together to say the least. They were cousins, both born into the Twili royal family, though Midna was born into the direct line for the throne, which was why she had ascended to it upon the death of her predecessor. However, even before that, it was always known that she would be the one to eventually take the throne out of her generation, something that Verona resented greatly.

Ambitious from a very young age, Verona had always been known throughout the Twilight Realm for her high intelligence, her cunning charisma and her ability to take charge in any situation. And while such worthy attributes were normally praised and valued by the inhabitants of the Twilight Realm, Verona found that her aspirations and dreams of rising to power within her own kingdom were not met as she watched with silent fury as her cousin took the throne instead. Midna and Verona had grown up alongside one another since they were about the same age, though Verona was a few years older, but even despite that, the two of them had never been close. Their respective intermediate families had never really gotten along, and even beyond that, the two cousins seemed to bicker and fight whenever they saw each another, largely because of their conflicting personalities. While Midna was hot-tempered, hard headed and outspoken, Verona was much more reserved with her words, instead taking more of a regal, laid-back, formal stance than even the Twilight Princess herself. Which was why the fact that Midna became the Twilight Princess instead of her, simply because of bloodlines despite the fact that she was clearly more qualified, made Verona's blood boil in passionate anger. She became bitter, and in her heated jealousy, she turned to hatred and vengeance. In secret, Verona studied the forbidden magic of the Twili, secrets of dark sorcery that had been locked away for countless generations. However, before she could make her move against the newly-crowned Twilight Princess, she was discovered,and quickly banished from her home in the Palace of Twilight for the wicked magic she had come to wield, as well as plotting to overtake the throne. Upon her banishment, Verona had seemingly vanished, disappearing to parts unknown, and she had not been seen since.

Until today.

"What are you even doing here!?" Midna spat harshly, not trusting the sudden reappearance of her vanished cousin.

"Well, isn't it obvious, Midna?" Verona asked smoothly, her cunning smile still present. "I've returned after two long, hard years, to finally take what should have been mine in the first place: the throne."

"The Twilight Realm will never be yours!" the Twilight Princess exclaimed with determination. "I'll make sure of that!"

"Oh, you will?" Verona said with a taunting laugh. "Just like how you made sure that the throne didn't fall into Zant's hands a few months ago, right? Oh, but wait… It did…"

Verona let out a mocking laugh at Midna's expense, as the Twilight Princess glared harshly at her cousin. "Why have you finally come back now, two whole years later?" she asked suspiciously. "Why wait so long since you've always been so eager to try and steal the throne from me?"

Verona chuckled lightly once more as she sat up straighter upon the throne. "The answer to that, my dear cousin, is quite simple," she said eloquently. "In the time that I have been gone, I have traveled across the Twilight Realm, uncovering quite a bit of knowledge that was previously lost to our tribe. But before I get to that, tell me, Midna… What do you know of Veran, the Sorceress of Shadow?"

"Veran?" the Twilight Princess asked, raising a confused eyebrow. She wanted to ask Verona why she would even bring a historical figure like the Sorceress of Shadow up at a moment like this, but nonetheless, she began answering her question, simply to see where this conversation was going. "Um… Veran was a Twili woman who lived about five hundred years ago. She somehow found her way into Hyrule without using the Mirror of Twilight and caused a great war there on two separate occasions. The legends say that she was brought to an end by a famous Hylian hero and the princess of the land at the time, but not before she caused untold amounts of destruction."

"Correct…" Verona said with a mysterious smile as she finally rose to stand. "However, that is only a brief summary of her story. History has obscured many of the finer details, such as how, as she was abruptly ended at the hands of the hero and the princess, Veran vowed that her descendants would rise up and avenge her death one day. The magic she wielded was strong and devastating, unlike any ever used by our people before. It would have been enough to destroy Hyrule entirely had it not been for that young hero and the princess all those centuries ago… Which brings us back to today… In my studies, I came across some very fascinating information. I learned that even though Veran died, she did indeed bear children beforehand. And those children bore children of their own, and so on and so forth, all the way down to our day and age. And believe it or not, I discovered something that you're just going to love, Midna: though our shared family line, we are both direct descendants of the Sorceress of Shadow herself!"

Midna gasped upon hearing this news, wondering how in the world Verona could take pride in something like that. All of the Twili knew of Veran's horrific conquests and violent attacks on Hyrule years ago, and all of them had denounced her for it, since the Sorceress of Shadow had broken off from her own people upon invading the world of light in the first place. But the fact that the Twilight Realm's own royal family was related to such a notorious woman was certainly hard to believe, even if the annals of history recorded it to be true.

Seeing that Midna was shocked at this revelation, Verona continued, holding her hands behind her back as she spoke. "Upon learning this, I knew that it was my duty to be the one who would avenge our ancestor. After all, I had idolized Veran all my life; her power and might were unmatched, and according to legend, the hero and the princess barely won against her. It only makes sense that I follow in her footsteps and accomplish what she failed to do. And so, I learned all of the secrets of her forbidden magic, imbuing myself with her ancient strength and finding all new power along the way. And so, in answer to your question, after I learned all I could, I began planning my glorious return, when I would come back to the very place I had been wrongfully banished from and finally rise to the power I was always destined to have! And while Veran may have gone down in history as the Sorceress of Shadow, I will go on to become something greater. I do not simply wish to become the 'Twilight Princess'. Such a title is weak and holds nothing close to the power I seek in my new name. From this moment on, I shall be known by one name alone, a name that will show everyone near and far just how strong I truly have become. Now and forever, all beings of this realm and every other realm shall bow to the unstoppable might of Verona, _Queen_ of Shadows!"

"Not if I have anything to do about it!" Midna proclaimed in fury, knowing that Verona's audacious claims were absolutely insane. "I will do everything in my power to prove that the power you possess is a false one! I _will _protect my kingdom and my people from you, no matter what!"

Verona simply smirked upon hearing her cousin's bold words. "Interesting…" she mused thoughtfully. "I see that you've changed much over these past two years, Midna. No longer are you that reckless, irresponsible little girl you were when I was banished. Having your kingdom torn from you and being transformed into an ugly little imp was certainly a wake-up call for you, wasn't it? Oh, but how could I forget the contributions that your heroic little friend from the world of light made to your shift of character, as well as the salvation of this land? Had it not been for him, I have to say that I wouldn't have been in the advantageous position I am now. After all, I couldn't have a loose cannon like Zant running around while trying to start my own coup, so I owe both of you I suppose… But what a shame it is, Midna, that you're just going to have your kingdom ripped from you yet again though, this time permanently…"

"You wanna bet?" Midna hissed as she conjured up an energy orb above her palm and held it up in an offensive stance.

Verona grinned confidently as she began to step closer to Midna. "I most certainly do," she said with confidence, accepting the challenge being offered to her.

The two cousins stood at an equal distance from one another, surrounded by both Verona's shadow beasts and many of Midna's guards as well, all of them knowing not to interfere in the deciding battle of magic and might that was about to take place before them. After what seemed like ages of simply facing off against one another, Verona was the first one to make a move, sending a burst of powerful dark violet flame flying towards the princess. Midna used some of her own magic to block the attack, before sending out two scarlet orbs all her own. Not anticipating their accuracy, one of them manage to graze the Queen of Shadow on the arm, though it didn't hurt her nearly as much as Midna had wanted it to.

"I see that you've gotten better, cousin!" Verona called out as she began to send a barrage of flames Midna's way. "But even so, your petty magic is nowhere near the level of power that I have obtained!"

With an icy laugh, the self-proclaimed queen continued to set attack after attack upon the Twilight Princess, who either repelled or dodged most of them as she countered the best she could. The duel continued for quite some time, neither one of them flinching nor missing a single beat as their attacks grew gradually more violent and powerful. However, as the battle raged on, it eventually became quite clear that Midna was growing more and more fatigued with each strike, her excessive use of magic wearing her down physically, while Verona remained strong and unphased, as if she had an unlimited supply of power. Befuddled at this, the Twilight Princess still continued to give it her all nonetheless, even if she knew she would not be able to fight forever.

Upon evading yet another one of Verona's strikes, Midna paused to catch her breath for a moment, something that she desperately needed to do. Despite her defenses, she had already taken quite a few hits, though none of them had proved to be too serious yet. On the other hand, while she had managed to land a few strikes against the Queen of Shadows, Verona clearly wasn't suffering from them like Midna was. The Twilight Princess wasn't sure how much longer she could last in this battle, especially when she realized that not only was her energy depleting, but so too was the strength of her magic, which had already proved to be weaker than the dark powers that Verona now wielded.

"Why don't you just give up while you're ahead, Midna?" Verona asked as she created another flame above her palm. "If you surrender now, I might let you walk away from this fight with your life… After all, I'm not too keen on killing family members unless I absolutely have to."

In between heavy breaths, Midna glared up at her foe, knowing that she had to overcome her own physical limits for the sake of her people who stood all around her, watching her with fearful eyes as she fought for their fate and her own. "_Never…" _she growled under her breath, immediately sending out a heavy burst of magic with the hopes that it would hit Verona. Unfortunately, it missed, and the Twilight Princess found that even that single attack alone had taken so much out of her. Upon seeing this, the Queen of Shadows immediately took advantage of her cousin's weariness, unleashing a massive force of power that she had been saving for such a moment. Before Midna could even try to block or dodge it, she was struck squarely in the chest by the large burst of hot flame that Verona had launched at her, the force of it knocking her to the ground as it left severe burns across her exposed chest and arms. The Twilight Princess let out a broken cry of pain as she collapsed to her knees, unable to pick herself back up as she languished in agony over her stinging burns. As Verona slowly approached her, she desperately tried to ignite an energy orb, but found that her magic would only weakly spark at the most, leaving her completely defenseless as the Queen of Shadows stood over her with a triumphant grin.

"You… won't win…" Midna muttered defiantly between heavy breaths, tears of pain threatening to fall from her eyes as she glared up at her cousin. "Even if… you strike me… down… I know… someone who… will stop you…"

"Ah, yes…" Verona mused, her confident grin still ever present. "You're referring to the Hero of Twilight, aren't you? Well, believe me, Midna, I already have very big plans for him…" The Queen of Shadows paused for a moment as she conjured up something else above her palm, something that Midna only had time to see for a moment or two before Verona made it vanish away. From a brief glance, it looked like a magical shard, completely black in color and surprisingly small enough to fit in the palm of one's hand as it floated unmovingly in the air. The Twilight Princess looked at it in confusion for a moment before it vanished, and Verona continued, a sharp, thin blade appearing in her hand in place of the shard. "But it's such a shame that you won't be around to see what those plans are!"

The Queen of Shadows let out a triumphant laugh as she lifted her blade high into the air and brought it down, cutting the Twilight Princess deeply across the chest and causing her immense amounts of pain, but thankfully not killing her yet. Midna's loyal guards all immediately began to race forward to defend their ruler, but they were all stopped by Verona's shadow beasts, who had been commanded to let the dark queen continue her work uninterrupted.

As blood began to pour from her wound, Midna gingerly covered it with her hands, unable to hide her tears of agony as she slowly glanced up at Verona, who still stood over menacingly, ready to finish what she had started. Knowing that she was unable to defend herself any more, the Twilight Princess simply let out a tearful sigh and lowered her head, knowing that she had failed her kingdom yet again, and now she was paying the ultimate price for it.

However, something that even Verona could not have anticipated before she landed the death blow upon her cousin was the Twili reinforcements that happened to burst into the throne room at just the right moment. The large group of guards rushed for the shadow beasts, fighting against them with all their might in an attempt to save their princess and their kingdom. And indeed it worked to some extent; for as Verona was furiously commanding her monsters to slay the guards, Midna saw just the opportunity she needed and took it.

Calling upon some of the last reserves of power she had left, Midna closed her eyes and muttered an ancient incantation to herself, praying and hoping she was strong enough for it to work, even in her injured state. And by some miracle, it did. For as Verona turned her attention back on Midna, she gasped in appalled shock and rage to find that the Twilight Princess was completely gone.

* * *

With a burst of incredible pain coursing through her bloodied chest, Midna arrived at the place she had intended to teleport herself to: the Temple of Twilight.

An ancient, revered structure, the Temple of Twilight had been built by the princess's ancestors years ago, in homage to a god that her people had once worshiped but had long since been forgotten. Now, it stood empty and untouched, its isolated location laying a safe distance away from the Palace of Twilight, which Midna was certain had finally fallen into the hands of her wicked cousin and her overwhelming forces.

The Twilight Princess sighed in remorse as she covered her heavy wound, even if that did nothing to drive the ever increasing pain away, hoping that her people could someday forgive her for abandoning them yet again. But, Midna was quick to realize that she was not abandoning them. She knew that she still had a shred of power left in her, and hopefully, that shred would be enough to allow her to get the help she needed in facing the threat her home was struggling under. She knew she wouldn't be able to face Verona alone, especially not in the weakened state she was now. Even when the Twilight Realm had been attacked by Zant, Midna had not been the one to take him down all by herself. Rather, she had only assisted in bringing the crazed usurper down; the hero had been the one who had done most of the work, and the Twilight Princess knew that now, more than ever, she needed his aid once again.

As Midna rushed into the temple as quickly as she could, her light footsteps echoed across the high-vaulted main chamber. Memories of their last meeting flooded her mind as she hurried towards the altar, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Verona found her here. They had stood before the sole gateway between the worlds of light and Twilight, and, even though it had been her intention and resolve to sever that connection between the two worlds so that such a catastrophe would never happen again, actually going through with it had been almost impossible upon seeing the look on his face that pled with her to stay. But as much as her heart had wanted to, her mind knew it was for the best. And so, she had shattered the Mirror of Twilight upon returning to her homeland once and for all, but not before giving him one last goodbye as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"_Link… I… see you later…"_

Even despite her injuries, Midna found that even thinking about their final parting almost drove her to tears now. But at the same time, hope began to fill her as she realized that there was a way for her to see him again. There was a way for her to liberate her terrorized kingdom from the Queen of Shadows, and give it peace and tranquility once more. And though even attempting it was incredibly dangerous, especially considering her poor condition, she knew that this was really the only choice she had left now.

Finally making it to the stone altar at the back of the temple, Midna rested for a moment, catching her breath as she struggled to even remain conscious amidst her pain. She had bled out quite a bit, but she knew she could not give up now. The Twilight Realm was counting on her and she was not about to let her people suffer for too long under Verona's conquest. And so, even though even simple movements brought her immense pain, the Twilight Princess raised both of her hands into the air and created a large blue orb of magic above them. With a loud cry of agony, she called upon all of the power she had left inside of her to help her accomplish what she needed to. The ground under her feet trembled as the magical orb split apart and the light from it re-gathered in front of her in the form of a portal. As the last bit of magic left her, Midna screamed in immense pain, the ache of her wound being multiplied a thousand fold to the point that she almost slipped into unconsciousness right then and there. But somehow, something was keeping her going, but just barely.

With a laborious groan, the Twilight Princess slowly glanced up at the gateway she had made; it was round, glowing in the classic colors of twilight though a golden light shined in the center of it, symbolizing its connection to the world of light. It wasn't the ideal way to travel back and forth between the two worlds, but since the Mirror of Twilight was irreparably broken, it would have to do. Midna knew that this gate was only temporary; once she passed through it, it would instantly vanish, leaving her trapped in the world of light with no foreseeable way back. But she would just have to figure out how to return when the time came. Her sole concern at the moment was escaping to Hyrule and finding the help she so desperately needed.

Midna wasted no more time as she hastily approached the gate, but before she could step through it, she was interrupted by the sound of multiple sets of footsteps booming through the temple out of nowhere. With a fearful gasp, the Twilight Princess spun around to see Verona and her entire army of shadow beasts sanding in the middle of the room. The creatures tried to rush towards the princess, but they were quickly halted by the Queen of Shadows, who firmly commanded them to stay put as she looked to her cousin expectantly, almost as if she wanted Midna to escape from her grasp and flee to the world of light. The Twilight Princess looked at her in confusion for a moment as their eyes met, but neither one of them said anything. And it was in this still, silent moment that Midna realized that even if Verona's motives were strange and unnerving, she knew that she had no time to worry about it now. Her only concern had to be her people, who were no doubt crying out for both their princess and a savior, a savoir that she hoped to find within the realm of light once again. And so, with a heavy, yet determined heart, the Twilight Princess weakly closed her eyes in both physical and emotional agony as she departed from her falling kingdom and stepped into the portal, letting her resolve be the only thing guiding her in a desperate moment such as this.

As both Midna and the gate that she had created vanished away, the shadow beasts were finally free to scour the temple, but Verona paid them no mind as a dark, cunning grin crept onto her lips. "That's right, Midna…" she whispered ominously, knowing that everything was already going according to her intricate plans. "Run to the world of light. Find the great Hero of Twilight… I'll be right behind you, ready to make him mine…"

* * *

**Ooooooo! BIG first chapter, huh? Already I be pulling out the action, the tension, the drama! And we're not even anywhere close to the really GREAT stuff yet (but it will come, so bear with me!) Now, I hate to say it, but the next several chapters are going to be a lot slower than this as we shift away from Midna and Verona for a little while and go to Link and Zelda instead, setting up their roles in the story and whatnot. After all, I have to have a little time to build that zelink ship up, don't I? Not to mention all the foreshadowing I get to do! Hooray! Now, if you liked what you saw, please don't forget to show it by following/favoriting and most of all REVIEWING! Until next time! :D**


	3. What Comes After

_Alright, so this took longer than I had hoped, but that was only because the writer's block for this chapter struck me hard. I really don't like writing exposition unless it directly ties into the plot, which most of this doesn't I suppose, but its good for character establishment so whatever. Before we begin, I'd like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the super positive reviews you guys have given me so far! I really hope that you all will enjoy with story as much as I hope you will! And so, I would like to thank Lovely girl 10, stevjej, Beforethedawnbreaks, explodingbunnies52, Pouda-P, TechyZeldaNerd, TheJediAvenger, whitworth5274, MBKH28, and DesertRose98 for following/favoriting! Now, onto the reviews! :D_

_**TheJediAvenger**: Yay! ANd yes, Midna and Verona are butch and they will only get more butch as the story goes along! And believe me, much more intense fighting is on the way! _

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: Well, yeah, they're gonna be cursed in the same way their predecessors are, forced to reincarnate and face a HUGE destiny and whatever, but you might be surprised at how I plan on shaking things up this time around... ;)_

_**Lovely girl 10:** Hahaha, well, hopefully I won't spoil too much for W&C here. After all, I'm still trying to get that done as well so I can devote all of my attention here! ANd yeah, Twilight Princess is indeed an awesome game :D_

_**Clover**: Thanks! And here's more right now! :D_

_**sippurp123**: Thanks a lot! Here's your update, now enjoy! :D And don't worry, the zelink parts are coming in the chapter after this one! :D_

_**GO ZeldaXLink:** Aw, thanks a ton! :D_

_**LooneyCat55**: Yes, these next several chapters are gonna be slow, but they are going to set things up for what's to come, so its ok! _

_**Nintendoman01**: Yeah, I plan on making Verona much more sympathetic throughout, as you will soon see. And yes, believe it or not, Midna is a descendant of Veran too, even if she is nothing like her!_

_Well, I suppose that's it for right now. Before we begin though, I'd like to point out that this chapter (as it states below) actually goes back a little and happens about a week before chapter 1, just for clarification. I promise I won't be doing a bunch of time jumping in this story, but I thought that I should at least for this one! Now, ENJOY!_

* * *

_Chapter 2: What Comes After_

"_And I don't know where I'm going, but I know it's gonna be a long time.  
And I'll be leaving in the morning come the white wine bitter sunlight."  
-Beating Heart, Ellie Goulding_

_One Week Earlier_

Dark clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule, quickly overtaking the light of the land and covering it with inescapable darkness. The princess stood upon the balcony of the highest spire of her castle, watching helplessly as wicked shadows devoured her kingdom once more. This was a sight she had been forced to witness once before, not too long ago, and even then it had been incredibly painful for her to watch her people suffer under the malevolence that had invaded the land. But unlike the curtain of Twilight that had enshrouded Hyrule only a few months ago, this new cloud of darkness was much deeper and much more ominous as it encroached upon every inch of her kingdom.

Zelda took in a nervous breath as she heard the collective panicked cries of her people from Castle Town hundreds of feet below her. For a moment, the princess continued to watch as the shadows continued to sweep over the fields, before taking a hesitant glance down upon the city below. She let out a gasp of horror upon seeing the town erupt into flames as if it was nothing more than a candle wick. The screams of the citizens intensified as the fire quickly spread, almost as if it were unnatural, which Zelda theorized amidst her horror-stricken thoughts, it probably was. She desperately wanted to rush down there and help them, but she found that she was frozen in place as she stood upon the high balcony, forced to only spectate as her kingdom crumbled all around her once more.

As the flames continued to rage upon the unprepared Castle Town, Zelda scanned the hectic scene even closer as she tried to figure out where the inferno had begun, hoping to find some answers as to what was happening. And, as she did so, she managed to catch sight of a lone figure standing amidst the chaos, simply remaining still as they seemed to examine the destruction all around them, though they did nothing to stop it. The princess strained her eyes to see them clearly, especially since she was so far away and their back was turned to her, but there were two things she noticed before the vision of the burning town faded from her already darkening sight: the pitch black cape resting on his shoulders as it blew in the wind, and the familiar green cap on his head that blew right along with it.

* * *

Zelda awoke with the start just as she had the past several mornings. Foreboding dreams such as this had become common for her, most likely a result of her frayed nerves, not to mention all of the stress she was under, but they still unnerved her all the same. The very thought of her kingdom falling again so soon after its liberation was unthinkable to her, and if it ever did come to pass, she would have no idea what she would do, just like she had been at a loss last time.

But all the same, the young princess lay in her soft-cushioned bed for a moment or two, closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh as she thought of the royal duties that awaited her today, a list that was steadily growing larger and larger as the days went by. And, that list would only continue to grow over the course of the upcoming week, leading up all the way to her coronation in seven days' time.

Truthfully, the princess was supposed to be crowned queen several months ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, namely, the Twilight Invasion as it had come to be called, the ceremony had been forced to be postponed. And, even once the threat that Hyrule had faced was vanquished, the kingdom and its monarchy needed time to heal and properly rebuild from the damages done to both its infrastructure as well as the castle itself, repairs that had had steadily been completed over the course of about four months. Upon the defeat of Ganondorf, the King of Thieves and the mastermind behind the Twilight Invasion, Zelda had dedicated herself entirely to strengthening her kingdom. It was for this reason that she had fortified the walls surrounding Castle Town, placed military outposts all across the kingdom, especially near its borders, and she had made sure that not a single one of the monsters that had invaded the land, be they of Twilight or otherwise, remained alive in the aftermath of the invasion. The last thing the princess wanted was for danger to befall her kingdom or its people, both of which were things she loved dearly, at all during her reign, especially so soon after the restoration of peace.

The steps that Zelda had taken to improve the lives of her people and ensure their safety had been praised as responsible, wise acts on the part of the young monarch by her citizens, whose opinion of her had been so poor during the Twilight Invasion. Those who had learned of her surrender to Zant criticized it to death, calling the princess out for being weak willed and relenting. But in truth, the only reason Zelda had surrendered was to spare her people from a great massacre and in the end, her vigilance and patience had paid off and her prayers to the goddesses had been answered in the form of the Hero of Twilight.

As the princess thought of the hero who had saved her kingdom, she sat up in bed, taking a brief glance at the nearby window only to see that the skies were overcast once more, their smooth whiteness showing signs of a potential snowfall. Zelda smiled softly to herself as she rose out of bed, knowing that a light snow flurry would be something nice to have on the day of her coronation, especially if it happened to be the first snowfall of the year. Winter was quickly coming upon Hyrule and with it came the promise of the cleansing of the bloodshed and disaster that had come along with the invasion, which had finally ended in the summer. Strangely enough, the winter months had always been the princess's favorite time of the year, even compared to the beauty of spring, the warmth of summer, or the colors of autumn. The brisk chill and pure snow often gave her weary soul peace in times of tribulation ever since she was little. But of course, there would be little that could alleviate the stress of being crowned queen of an entire kingdom in one week's time.

With soft footsteps and graceful movements befitting royalty, the princess slowly stepped across her elegant bedchamber, taking care not to be heard lest her servants come in to prepare her for the day's work. She was used to being busy; after all, she had been single-handedly ruling Hyrule ever since her father's death several years ago, but with the title of queen came so many new responsibilities. There would be less ceremonial duties she would have to preform, but at the same time, there was much more politics involved and much less time to peruse her own pleasures, such as archery or music. Her life would revolve around the throne and all of its many tasks, but then again, hadn't it for all eighteen years of her life?

However, Zelda forced herself to push the dread and anxiety she had towards her coronation aside as she moved to stand before the large painting that adorned the southern wall of her room, one that was perhaps one of her favorite works of art in the entire castle. The painting had been sketched and commissioned by one of her ancestors around five hundred years ago, but the history it depicted was much older and deeper than most anyone knew. Though the people in it were largely obscured by either shadow or a lack of general detail in the artistry, but there was one common theme throughout it. Three young men and three young women, all of them in pairs with each other, stood strong and unyielding against the darkness threatening to destroy them. As Zelda glanced down to the pair on the bottom, she examined it closely this time, already knowing who these two, these incarnations of the timeless hero and the repeating princess, were supposed to represent. And as she did so, she realized something that she should have a long time ago: she had never thanked him properly.

After they had brought down the King of Thieves, the hero had slipped away once the Twilight Princess had departed for her homeland, and most likely he had done the same and returned to the small village he hailed from in the southern forests. Zelda had been so anxious to pick of the shattered pieces of her kingdom that she had not even given thanking him a second thought, something that she realized was shameful and foolish now. After all, he had nearly died saving her and her kingdom a number of times, and she had almost watched him go down firsthand when he had battled Ganondorf. And yet, somehow, he had survived and had restored peace to Hyrule, all without claiming the honor or glory that the princess thought he rightfully deserved. In fact, Zelda frowned to herself as she realized that she knew so little about him; the only things she actually did know of him was his name, his hometown and the fact that he was chosen by the gods themselves. Everything else was a mystery to her, and like all mysteries the princess had been faced with in her life, she craved to know more.

And so, without another moment of thought, Zelda rushed to her writing desk and quickly pulled out a piece of stationary, quickly penning a note with the hopes that it would reach him in time. However, despite her speed, the princess made sure that her words were genuine and thankful, for she knew that she owed him her life, her kingdom and so much more.

* * *

"_Come, hero…"_ a gentle, whisper of a voice spoke to the Hero of Twilight as he opened his eyes and found himself standing in the midst of a raging fire, though it never seemed to touch him and he could not feel its heat. _"Darkness is spreading… Shadows are sweeping over this land…"_

"_Come join the shadows…"_ the voice beckoned smoothly, and despite its quiet tone, it was really the only thing Link could hear as it drowned all other form of sound out, somehow freezing him in place as the flames continued to burn and destroy everything around him. _"Turn away from the light and come to where you truly belong… You were always meant to be a part of the shadows… So, come, hero, and find your place among them… Find your destiny…"_

As the voice continued to speak almost seductively to him, Link tried to resist what it was saying, knowing that it was urging him into treachery and darkness, but he found he was unable to resist its tempting words for some reason. His resolve grew weaker with each passing second, and as the shadows and flames all around him began to consume him, he heard the voice one last time before everything shattered into complete and utter darkness. _"Shadows are spreading, hero… And you will be the one who will spread them…"_

* * *

This was not the first time Link had experienced a dream such as this and it certainly wouldn't be the last, and yet he abruptly awakened from it, unnerved and somewhat anxious about it all the same. Slowly sitting up in bed and cautiously glancing around his humble home, the hero was admittedly relieved to see that the room was flooded with natural morning light from outside rather than the oppressive shadows that had haunted his nightmare.

Seeing that all was well, Link decided to ignore the strange premonition for now and rise out of bed, knowing that he had a full day of herding ahead of him. Perhaps most people, upon the completion of a daunting destiny and the salvation of an entire kingdom, would have sought the proper recognition and honor that came along with such deeds, but the Hero of Twilight had cared little for them. In the aftermath of his violent battle with Ganondorf, the main thing that had concerned Link was simply recovering from the severe injuries he had had received during the arduous fight. But even after the physical wounds were healed, the hero was still left with many emotional ones upon watching the one who had been his closest companion during all of the many, long, hard months of trekking across the kingdom and overcoming countless dangers part ways with him without any warning. He had realized a long time ago that he would never see Midna again, but just because he had accepted that fact didn't mean he had to like it. Not a day went by that Link didn't miss the Twilight Princess who had been by his side through thick and thin, with whom he had believed he had formed an inseparable bond with even despite the tension that their necessary partnership, and eventual friendship, had been born out of. Yet even with the seemingly unbreakable dynamic they had formed, Midna must not have valued it as much as he did considering that she forever left him without saying much of a goodbye at all.

Yet even despite the Twilight Princess's sudden parting, the hero had known that he had to move on with his life, even if it was often hard. With Hyrule safe, Link had found that the mission he had been forced to take up through circumstances beyond his control was now over; the land no longer needed a hero, and therefore he was once again free to do whatever he wanted with his life. The only problem was, he had no idea what it was he wanted to do.

When he had first began his path as a hero towards the start of the Twilight Invasion, the only thing that Link had wanted was to return to the peaceful life he had always known in Ordon Village, a life with little worries or cares. Before, he had never dreamed of leaving home, but upon returning to it, his thoughts were constantly on leaving it again. It wasn't as though he didn't enjoy being surrounded by the familiarity of Ordon, which was something that he had pined for during his grueling travels across Hyrule. After all, he had missed the place and its people greatly every day he had been away. But over the course of the past several months that he had been home for, he found that the life he had used to know there had come to be mundane and uninteresting when compared to the life-changing journey he had gone on. He had once crossed deserts and mountains, but now he was once again confined to the limited area of the forest. He had defeated countless foes and brought down many fell beasts on a regular basis, but now his daily tasks only consisted of goat herding and other menial work. He had once wielded the legendary blade of evil's bane itself, but now he was lucky if he could even find the time to swing a sword for the sake of mere practice anymore. It was becoming increasingly obvious to Link that he was no longer the simple ranch hand he had once been before his destiny had found him; he was a hero, an adventurer, a fighter. He felt as though he no longer belonged in the peaceful community that he had spent his whole life within, filled with people who could not know what he had gone through to save the land. He was meant for more than a life defined by the restraints the past had established for him. He was restless and bored with what had once been and he craved to know what could come after, what life could be if he really went out into the world and saw what it had to offer. The only thing he had to do was find a place to start.

"Link!" an impatient call, accompanied by a series of quick knocks on the door suddenly filled the house as the hero was still getting ready. Instantly, Link knew who it was, but before he could even respond back and tell Ilia to wait, she already burst into the house either way, just as she did almost every morning.

"You'd better not still be in bed!" the girl said impatiently as she stepped inside. "I already have the whole day planned out, and I won't have it ruined just because you want to sleep-"

Ilia quickly cut herself off upon glancing up to the loft and accidentally catching sight of the hero as he stood upon the second floor loft, his toned chest completely bare since he was still in the middle of getting dressed. The girl was unable to hide her embarrassed blush as she awkwardly looked away, even though a large part of her didn't want to. Of course, this wasn't the first time Ilia had seen Link without a shirt on; after all, the two of them had been the closest of friends for basically their entire lives. And yet, over the past few months, once peace had been returned to Ordon and the hero had returned from his travels, the girl began to feel her affections for him begin to grow, even though she did a good job of hiding them from him. After all, the close bond that they shared had been the main stigma behind the restoration of her lost memories, and ever since then, that bond had only gotten closer with each passing day.

"Sorry, Ilia!" Link quickly apologized as he finished dressing, just as flustered as she was, though he hid it well as he descended down the ladder to the first floor of the house.

"Oh, no…" Ilia said, still glancing away from him as the redness in her cheeks finally began to fade. "You're fine. Anyway, I'm glad you're up. We have the whole day ahead of us, so we better get started!"

"Get what started?" the hero asked in confusion. "Ilia, I can't play around today; I have to work."

"No, you don't," the girl said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Fado gave you today off. I was there when he told you last night, remember?"

Link smiled slightly upon hearing this, knowing that even if he had remembered, he wouldn't have gotten the much-needed chance to sleep in anyway thanks to Ilia. "No, I guess I didn't."

The girl sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at him. "I swear, Link, you've been working yourself so hard lately that I bet you wouldn't even remember to breathe if it wasn't on instinct!" she exclaimed impatiently, before breaking into a small grin. "Come on; even the great 'Hero of Hyrule' needs a day to just relax every now and then!"

The hero nodded in agreement, knowing that he could certainly use a chance to unwind. Since winter was quickly on the way, there had been more herding work than usual, but that wasn't the only reason why Link had been pushing himself so hard recently. In many ways, throwing himself into his work was often how the hero took his mind off everything that he had been through during his mission. The only one who had been with him throughout it all and had shared his burden was now worlds away, and many of his experiences were things that he certainly didn't care to speak of to anyone else. He had told Ilia the most about all of the pain and struggles that he had been forced to go through, but as far as he knew, no one knew the true nature of his journey except for Midna and Princess Zelda, though Link had not spoken to her since the invasion ended. In many respects, he was alone in this regard, and the only way he found he could forget about it all was to instead focus on work that was much less demanding than his former travels and battles. His hope was that, as the months wore on into years, the nightmares and flashbacks would eventually go away and he'd be able to slip into some semblance of either peace or normality, whichever came first.

Without needing any further convincing from Ilia, Link followed her outside into the brisk, chilly air. Since Ordon lay on the southernmost boarder of Hyrule, it didn't suffer the same often-frigid wintry conditions that the rest of the kingdom did, but that certainly didn't mean that the village was warm year-round. The trees of the forest were completely bare of their foliage in the aftermath of autumn and the skies were mostly cloudy, though some cold morning sunshine poked through. Snow would visit Ordon soon enough, but the villagers were prepared for it since the harvest this year was fruitful enough to last them for quite a while. The winter wouldn't be too terribly long or harsh, and at its end came the promise of a bright springtime, something that the people of the peaceful little village always looked forward to.

As was the case with just about every morning, the usual group of children were playing outside of the hero's house as Link and Ilia ventured out to meet them. The moment they caught sight of the two teenagers, the children all rushed towards them, all of them talking excitedly at once. Like, Ilia, the three youths also knew that Link had the day off from work, and of course, they all couldn't wait to spend the day with him since they respected him and looked up to the courageous, yet kind hero even more than they did the sweet, motherly girl.

"Hey, Link!" Talo greeted enthusiastically, brandishing his play wooden sword. "Can you show us more of those fancy sword moves?"

"Yeah!" Colin added as he drew his own fake blade and shield. "We've been practicing, but we still wanna be as good as you are someday!"

"Oh, brother!" Beth scoffed as she rolled her eyes at the two boys. "Sword fighting is so boring! We should go fishing instead!"

At this point, the children began to argue over what they wanted to do with the day, before Ilia finally broke the disagreement up. "Alright, kids, calm down," she interjected patiently. "I hate to tell you all this, but I've already claimed Link all to myself for the day."

"You have?" the hero asked with an amused grin as the children whined and pouted in disappointment.

The girl nodded with a wide, coy smile. "Yes, I have," she said with a flirtatious hint in her tone. "Like I said, I have the whole day planned out, just you and me. We haven't hung out by ourselves in a long time, so I figured why not? It'll be fun."

"Can't we come?" the children all asked in pleading unison, but Ilia was firm in her answer.

"Not this time, alright?" she said kindly, though the children were still clearly upset.

"We can hang out tomorrow, ok?" Link said to the kids in order to ease their complaints. While he did enjoy spending time with the children, he understood Ilia's desire to have some one-on-one time with him, for it was something that he had been wanting to have with her for quite some time as well.

Though the youths still wanted the hero all to themselves, they hesitantly agreed and headed back towards the village to play amongst themselves, leaving Link and Ilia to the plans that the girl had devised. Thankfully, there was nothing too rigorous involved as most of their morning was consumed by a scenic walk through the woods, during which they casually conversed and joked just as they always did, reflecting back on their long-lasting friendship. It was an understatement to say that the hero and the girl were close, and while no one in the village had outright said it to either of them, they all suspected the two of them for having romantic feelings for one another, though no one really knew for sure. After all, there was no question that they cared for one another immensely; when Ilia had lost her memory, Link had done everything in his power to restore it to her, largely so he wouldn't have to go through the heartbreak of knowing that she didn't even remember his name, much less the inseparable bond that they shared. On the other side, when Link had returned from his arduous battle with the King of Thieves critically wounded, Ilia had stayed by his side constantly, slowly nursing him back to health and helping him regain his strength so she would not have to know the pain of losing her best friend forever.

As the day wore on and their walk led them back to the village, the pair decided to go out further from Ordon and out into the vast plains of Hyrule Field itself. And so, after a brief lunch, Link and Ilia mounted Epona and rode through Faron Woods, eventually breaking through the tree line and into the wide, empty fields. The silhouette of Hyrule Castle stood miles away in the distance against the white skies, but neither of them paid it any mind as they simply rode around for a while, enjoying the scenery and their time together. When they grew weary of this and when it was clear that Epona needed a break, the girl and the hero decided to let the horse graze as they sat together with their backs against a nearby tree, picking up their conversation from earlier, though it gradually took on a less casual note as time went by.

"How come you've never told anyone everything that happened to you?" Ilia asked at one point, not needing to clarify that she was talking about the hero's difficult journey.

"How do you know that I haven't?" Link asked, trying to avoid the subject altogether.

"Because," the girl said knowingly. "I just do. Someone who's gone through only the little bit of what you've told me doesn't come back from a battle barely hanging to life by a thread like you did. Not to mention how depressed you were for all those weeks afterwards."

"I wasn't depressed," the hero said defensively, even though he knew it was a lie. Even apart from how much he had changed and how many times he had faced death itself, seeing Midna leave him had perhaps been the hardest part of it all. In fact, it had driven him into depression for quite some time, right along with all of the nightmares he had been forced to put up with during the weeks that followed of death and destruction finding not only him, but all of the other people he cared about as well. In fact, he still wasn't entirely sure if he had completely broken out of it yet, even several months later.

"Sure you weren't," Ilia said, rolling her eyes at him. "But I've been wondering something for the longest time… Who is Midna?"

Link froze upon hearing this question, his eyes widening as he quickly glanced over at the girl. "How do you know about her?" he asked quickly, knowing that he had not confided to anyone about his sole, loyal companion out of the emotional pain it caused him.

"When you unconscious for about a week after you came back, you would always mutter her name in your sleep," Ilia explained, though she did well to hide the subtle hint of slight jealousy in her voice. "Who was she? Was she someone that you met during your journey?"

"Yes," the hero sighed with a small, bitter smile as he remembered just how close he had been to the Twilight Princess not so long ago. "She… she helped me when I had no one… I guess you could say we were pretty close friends…"

The girl frowned when he trailed off and wouldn't explain more, so she prompted him with another question. "What happened to her?"

"She's gone…" Link said morosely, closing his eyes and wishing that she wasn't.

"Did… did she die?" Ilia asked hesitantly, not wanting to reopen any old wounds, although it was already too late for that.

"No," the hero said softly. "She left."

"Oh…" the girl said, glancing down sympathetically. "Do you think you'll ever see her again?"

Link hesitated in answering this question, not wanting to admit it out loud, even though he knew it was true and that he still had to remind himself of it even months later. "No," he said despondently, somewhat hating the fact that he could still often hear the Twilight Princess's impish laughter or teasing words as if she was still there with him. "I won't."

Ilia's frown deepened as she realized that she was beginning to pry too much. She hated to see the hero so hurt, both physically and emotionally, and as much as she wanted to change the topic to something lighter, she knew that it was unhealthy for him to bottle of these many emotions up. And so, she slowly reached over and placed her hand over his, unable to give him the reassuring smile he deserved as she looked into his dark blue eyes intently. "Link," she said quietly, yet comfortingly. "Are you still having nightmares?"

"Not as many as before," the hero began to admit with a sigh, remembering his most recent one and the ominous undertones it was filled with. "But yeah, I still do."

"Will you at least tell me about those?" she asked, hoping that he would open up to her even in this minor way so he could heal and go back to being the relaxed, laid-back boy she had grown up with instead of the tense, troubled hero he was now. There was no question that his journey had changed him and left him scarred; after all, he had been through so much. And yet, much to the girl's frustration, the hero refused to open up to those who could help him, instead choosing to distance himself from them even more.

"Ilia…" Link said after a moment or two of considering her request. "You wouldn't understand…"

"What wouldn't I understand?" Ilia asked persistently. "That you got hurt? That you lost someone important to you? Might I remind you that I lost all of my memories? I had to deal with not even knowing who I was, much less you or anyone else! I think we've both had our fair share of hardship, wouldn't you say?"

The hero said nothing even though his mind was full of things he could have said. He wanted to tell her that their circumstances were entirely different and that her experiences couldn't even begin to compare to his traumatizing ones; she hadn't been in constant danger like he had been. She didn't have all of the blood on her hands that he did. She had not undergone the painful transformation from human to beast that he had been forced to go through countless times. She had not lost a constant companion and devoted friend like he had. And most of all, she wasn't like he was: always pretending to go through each and every day as if nothing had happened, trying to forget it all but thinking about nothing but it, putting on a front as if nothing was wrong when emptiness and loneliness were the only things he could feel.

Ilia sighed when she realized that she wasn't going to get any form of response out of Link as he simply stared off into the distance, refusing to make eye contact with her. The girl was perhaps the only one who even knew that the hero was going through some sort of inner turmoil, and above all else, it broke her heart to see her best friend, who had once been so cheerful and high-spirited, become so stoic and reserved. "Please, Link…" she said softly, giving his hand a small squeeze as she leaned closer to him. "Stop shutting everyone out, especially me. I only want to help you, but you have to let me first…"

Though Link was tempted to refute her kind attempts once again, he found that he didn't this time. Even though he was certain that Ilia wouldn't understand all of the struggles he had been through, and that if he were to tell them about them all, she would certainly see him differently upon knowing the truth, he realized that it would be so nice to finally tell someone everything that had happened, to let the past just go by letting it out and finally move on with his life. And yet, at the same time, the last thing he wanted to do was burden someone as innocent as Ilia with his own dark secrets. If Midna was still around, he would certainly have a confidant in her, but the Twilight Princess was gone, leaving the hero with no one to talk to about the things that he desperately wanted to forget.

However, before Link or Ilia could even say anything else, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by the shrill sound of a nearby hawk's caw. The two of them glanced up to see the large, majestic bird of prey flying down close to them, and when the hero held out his hand for it, the hawk perched upon it squarely, allowing them both to discover the small scroll of paper it had been toting along on its flight.

"It's a messenger hawk!" Ilia exclaimed with interest. "I've never seen one before! I heard that only the really wealthy can afford to tame and train them. I wonder who its message is for..."

"Well, obviously it must be one of us, Ilia," Link said sarcastically, finally cracking a small smirk and giving the girl hope that he was coming out of his former dark mood. But nonetheless, she gave him a small, flirtatious punch on the arm before the hero took the scroll out of the hawk's talons and released it into the air so it could return to its master. Immensely curious, both Link and Ilia read the short letter, noting the beautiful, very neat penmanship that inscribed each well-chosen words.

_To the honorable Hero of Twilight, Link of Ordon,_

_I apologize for not having enough time to begin this letter with the proper formalities. I have been quite preoccupied as of late, but even with my energies focused in many places at once, it has recently come to my attention that I have made a grave mistake, one that is entirely of my own fault and doing. In rebuilding this kingdom in the aftermath of the Twilight Invasion, I failed to bestow the proper gratitude that you deserve for liberating both myself and my people from the destruction that we were facing. Hyrule is indebted to you, as am I, and I have come to realize that this gratefulness is beyond what mere words on a page are able to express. And so, it is with amicable tidings that I invite you to come visit me personally at Hyrule Castle, so that we may further correspond face-to-face. I would also like to cordially invite you to attend my coronation, which is to be held in one week's time, as my personal guest. You are welcome to stay in the castle as long as you please, and the moment you arrive, I promise that I will meet with you personally to extend my thanks. However, if you are unable to attend, know that I completely understand. You are welcome to come any time that suits you, though I would be most honored to have the Hero of Twilight, the savior of Hyrule himself, in attendance at my coronation. Until our meeting, I wish you the warmest of regards,_

_Princess Zelda Sayre Nohansen Hyrule L_

At the bottom of the note was the elegant signature of the princess herself, along with the Hylian royal seal to prove its authenticity. For a moment or two, the girl and the hero simply stared at the letter in disbelief, finding it amazing that the ruler of Hyrule had taken time out of her busy schedule to pen this note with her own hand. But when the initial awe of this had worn off, Ilia was the first one to speak, her green eyes wide with excitement as she snatched the parchment away from Link.

"Wow!" she exclaimed with a wide grin. "Princess Zelda herself invited you to her coronation! What an honor!"

"Yeah, it is," the hero said with a modest grin, remembering his brief past encounters with the princess over the course of his journey. He had met her three times, and only one of those times had he actually been a human rather than a wolf. However, since they were working on fending off Ganondorf's evil reign, there had been little time for any sort of actual conversation between the two of them. Once the King of Thieves was defeated, they had both been present to see Midna off back to the Twilight Realm, but other than a few cursory words, Link and Zelda surprisingly never interacted that much. And, as would be expected, neither of them had communicated with each other at all after the hero returned home and the princess began rebuilding her government. "I guess I won't be able to play with the kids tomorrow."

"Wait," the girl's smile faded as the hero took the note out of her hands and looked over it once more. "You're actually going?"

"Well, of course," Link said as though it was obvious, raising a confused eyebrow at the girl. "You don't just turn a personal invitation from the princess of Hyrule down."

"Yeah, but…" Ilia began, her sudden displeasure with this news quite apparent. "What about work? You can't just take a whole week off!"

"I'm sure Fado won't mind," the hero said, crossing his arms as he gave the girl a slight joking suspicious glance. "Ilia, what's wrong? Why don't you want me to go?"

"I never said that!" Ilia said defensively. "I… I just… Well, you've spent your whole life here in Ordon. What's someone like you gonna do at a high-strung party full of stuck-up royals and fancy dignitaries?"

"How does that even matter?" Link asked with a frown, somewhat offended by her suggestion that he wouldn't know how to behave around members of the upper class society. "Ilia… Are you jealous?"

"Who would I even be jealous of?!" the girl exclaimed impatiently, placing her hands on her hips before letting out a long sigh. "I'm just worried about you, Link… I know you've been restless ever since you came back. I just don't want you to go there and get wrapped up in all the excitement of the city and forget to come home…"

"That won't happen," the hero reassured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll come back; you know I will."

"You promise?" Ilia asked somewhat despondently, taking his other hand as she looked up into his eyes for a confirmation.

"Yes," Link said with sincerity, giving her a small, actually genuine smile as he gave her hand a light squeeze, something that made the girl's heart leap. "I promise."

* * *

By that evening, the entire village had heard that Link would be traveling to Hyrule Castle the next day, and unlike Ilia, they all reacted with immense excitement, giving the hero even more congratulations on his accomplishments and stating that it was a great honor to have an audience with the illustrious princess. Mayor Bo had instructed him to represent Ordon well before Princess Zelda and the other members of nobility and Rusl had entrusted him with the Ordon Sword to give to the princess as a tribute from the small village with the hopes that it would be successfully delivered to the royal family this time. The children had already expressed their dismay at the hero being gone for a week, but he had assured them, just has he had the girl, that he would return soon enough.

Since preparations for the trip had not taken too long, Link had decided to leave the very next day, wanting to make it on time to Zelda's coronation as not to disrespect her or her kind invitation. So he could fit his travels to the castle within an entire day, he rose early the next morning before the sun had even come up and started getting ready to leave.

Up until that point, the hero had not thought too much of the princess's invitation, but he couldn't help but wonder about it now. Why would someone as important and busy as Zelda even think to invite him, a lowly peasant from the outskirts of Hyrule, to her royal coronation, something that only the most elite in the entire kingdom were permitted to attend, especially since they barely knew each other at all? While Link didn't exactly understand the princess's outstretched kindness towards him, he knew he was in no position to reject it; after all, the more he thought about it, the more he was looking forward to meeting with her. He had only heard rumors of the supposedly reclusive princess, who was said to be quite distant and reserved, always keeping to herself and hardly ever letting anyone else into her personal life. The hero had to admit that he could relate to her; before his journey, he had never been enclosed, but ever since he had grown to be something of an introvert, which Zelda apparently was as well. If they had nothing else in common, then they at least had that, but Link knew that wasn't all. They had both known Midna, and though he wasn't too keen on the idea of talking about the Twilight Princess and his relationship with her too openly, at least he hoped that Zelda would understand better than anyone else just how much he missed her and just how much he had struggled, both now and then.

Even beyond meeting with the princess though was the chance to get away from Ordon for a while, which admittedly enticed the hero a great deal. While he still loved his forest home, Link knew that parting ways with it for a while would be a much-needed change of pace. To simply ride through the open fields of Hyrule just as he often did during his adventure would be absolutely refreshing and perhaps it would finally fulfill some, though most likely not all, of his pressing wanderlust that had been filling him for the past several months.

As Link stepped outside into the brisk early morning air to prepare Epona for the long ride to Castle Town, he found that someone was already doing the job for him. Ilia didn't turn around to face him as she heard him approaching, but instead simply continued to take care of the horse in silence, wishing that she didn't have to see the hero go.

"What are you doing up so early?" the hero asked her quietly, knowing that they had not really spoken since last night.

The girl was quiet for a moment or two before glancing back at him. "Oh, you know…" she began, a certain anxiousness filling her tone. "I just figured I'd come to see you off…"

"Oh," Link said, wondering why Ilia was acting so strange around him lately. Ever since their day together yesterday, she had been an odd combination of nervous, shy and angry, though the hero didn't really have the faintest idea as to the reason why. "Thanks."

At this point, the girl had finally turned to face him, holding her hands together in front of her tightly as she glanced down and bit her lip. "Link…" she said, her voice little more than a whisper. "Remember what I said yesterday. Don't forget where you're from, ok?"

"I won't," the hero said firmly, knowing that nothing, not even his hidden desire to travel and see the world, could let him forget about the home he had always known.

"And be careful, ok?" Ilia asked, looking up at him with a small grin. "I don't want something like what happened last time to keep you away from home for several months, alright? Try to come home as soon as you can, for me, ok?"

"Ok," Link nodded as he returned her smile, knowing that she always worried over him too much ever since they were children. By now, he had noticed the tears that were starting to well up in her bright emerald eyes, but before he could try to comfort her, she quickly rushed forward and gave him a tight embrace, one that he didn't hesitate to return. And yet, absolutely nothing could have prepared him for when the girl broke their hug and, acting on a sheer moment of impulse and bravery alone, stood upon her tip-toes and kissed him completely without warning.

Though the hero's initial instinct was to break away out of shock, he found that he didn't as the girl gently laced her hands together behind his neck. Neither of them had ever kissed before, much less each other, but for some reason or another it came naturally to both of them. Ilia pressed her thin, wispy form against Link's strong, toned one as she kept her lips on his for quite some time, emptying both of their minds of everything for quite some time. Though the hero had never thought of the girl who had always been his best friend in a romantic way before, he easily could have convinced himself that he did in that moment as he returned her kiss. Her body felt small, yet soft and warm against his, and her gentle touch was so familiar yet comforting at the same time. All of his pent up anxiety and inner tension somehow seemed to fade away until finally, she broke away from him to his slight dismay.

Ilia's cheeks were alight in a heavy crimson blush as she avoided eye contact with Link, instead looking down at her feet bashfully as she gave him a small, yet satisfied smile. "I had to do that…" she whispered softly, her tone light and blissful. "At least once…"

For a long moment or two, the hero could only stare at her speechlessly, still trying to catch his breath from their prolonged kiss. "Ilia…" he muttered incredulously, his mind racing for word that would not come.

The girl merely shook her head at him in order to drop the subject entirely, her smile still apparent as she backed away from him a bit awkwardly. "Stay safe, Link," she said, not even mentioning the kiss whatsoever. "I'll see you in a week."

Link said nothing as he continued to look at Ilia, trying to piece his many thoughts together until he blinked and shook his head to clear it. "Um, yeah…" he stammered, still taken aback, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it was because all of the emotions he was feeling towards his lifelong best friend were colliding at once, causing him both confusing and a strange sense of longing. He had never felt this way towards Ilia before, but even so, despite the fact that it was sudden and sweeping, he wasn't entirely sure if it was what he thought it could be.

At the same time, the girl stepped out of the way to let the hero mount his horse, watching him with a small smile the entire time. There was no doubt in her mind now, after the euphoric kiss they had just shared, that her own feelings were him were genuine. She had been wondering about them a great deal lately, but now she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were true. Which was what made the thought of him leaving her to go off to meet with the princess of Hyrule, who was said to be unmatched in both poise and beauty, filled her with a bitter feeling that she simply could not shake.

And yet, no more words were exchanged between the two of them as the hero finally began to ride off into the woods, only glancing back at the girl once as she stood alone as she watched him go, both of them wondering what had suddenly changed and what would come after they were reunited once more.

* * *

**Blah, blah, blah, Link/Ilia shipping, blah, blah... Yeah, whatever. As you might have guessed, I'm not a huge fan of shipping the two of them, but for the sake of the beginning of this story and a few things to come later on, I figured I'd to a little here, just to make some contrast for the Zelink ship that's about to set sail in the next chapter. Hooray! Anyway, like I said, mostly fluff and establishment and stuff like this in this chapter, though I did decide to put a little angst/PTSD in there for Link, in case you didn't notice (though I don't know how you couldn't have). I just figured that TP Link kinda went through more and saw more than SS or OoT Link, so you know, more post-traumatic stress (especially since Midna, the only other person who had shared his experiences, left). But don't worry. I'll break through that in the next few, not as angsty chapters (though be warned cause around chapter 14 or so things start to get REALLY angsty and they'll stay like that for quite some time). What can I say? I love the angsts! Hahaha, but anyway, like I said, more fluff in the next chapter, but its of the Zelink variety, so I can deal with that better. Plus, we'll have only a little more angst, but nothing as bad as we had here! Anyway, I suppose that's it for now. Don't forget to REVIEW/follow/favorite/whatever. Until next time! :D**


	4. Confidant and Counselor

_Well folks, it took like almost a month, what with college and INTENSE writer's block for this chapter and Hyrule Warriors distracting the heck out of me, but I finally did it! I finally forced myself to write this chapter (which might explain why its so subpar, but perhaps I should stop comparing it with what's to come...) Anyway, this is mostly just an establishing chapter, kinda bare-bones and basic and a little lacking of much substance if you ask me, but needed to set up the relationship between Link and Zelda, so yeah... I can promise that the next several chapters after this focused on them will be vastly more interesting. Thanks to Aiko33, Jarvis R. Yeriel, hopscot, Zelda the Wise, Corlink14, Unanimously Anonymous 42 for following/favoring! Now onto the reviews (and there we quite a few, thank you!)!_

_**CupcakePride101**: I'll start with your review on ch. 2: Firstly, I have to say your kinda right about the nightmare thing... but I also have to say that its not what you think... ;) And yeah, I don't mind Illink that much, but I really do prefer Zelink out of any Zelda paring. And believe it or not, there was a time that I wasn't really going to ship Zelink that much here, since I had a hard time picturing TP Zelink working well, but in the way I'm gonna write it, I think it might just work out! As for your second review, I don't mind if you skip W&C, though there will be some major spoilers for it here so be warned! And as for Verona, yes one of her goals is both the Twilight Realm/Hyrule, but she has something else that she's after as well, which will ultimately help her accomplish her goals in the long run... ;)_

_**Zelda the Wise:** Thanks! I'm glad that your excited and I love TP as well and I can't wait to write more within this world! And yes, I prefer Zelink over Ilia/Link as well... ;)_

_**Lovely girl 10:** Yeah, I don't mind Ilia that much as a character (I know some fanfic writers really bash her when they write TP Zelink, but I don't plan on doing too much of that) And yeah, I do think TP Link has gone through more too, which will certainly show here (the bulk of it being the fact that Midna left, but there are other things too)_

_**GO ZeldaXLink:** Yeah, I was a little annoyed. After all, Zelink is my favorite above all other ships! XD_

_**RandomButLoved**: I can't wait for chapter 14 either! I'm so excited to get into the bulk of this story! Especially the foreshaowing! (mwahahaha!) And while I don't know if there will be any flashback to Ganny, I know that there will be some flashbacks here in a few chapters, you can bet on that! _

_**Clover**: Thanks! Me either!_

_**TheJediAvenger**: hahaha I know just how much you hate her XD And indeed ZELINK IS LOVE ZELINK IS LIFE (and apparently all other ships are wrong, except for Link/Cia lol)_

_**explodingbunnies52**: Thanks! I plan on taking things quite far in every single way... ;)_

_**Jarvis R. Yeriel:** Indeed there is a contrast. I did find it rather boring to write (and this chapter I feel the same about), but chapters like those are needed for development, so if I can just get through them, then we can finally get to the good stuff. And as far as where Verona got all of her power, largely it came from studying Veran's forbidden magic, which is stronger than even the magic that Midna wields as the Twilight Princess, making her a very deadly opponent indeed. But anyway, good luck on your books! :)_

_Alright, so with that out of the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 3: Confidant and Counselor_

"_You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope."  
-Katniss, The Hunger Games_

Zelda let out a long, exhausted sigh as she shuffled around the seemingly endless stacks of paper piled up on the desk of her study. Of all of the royal duties that were expected of her, paperwork had to be her least favorite. And yet, since her coronation was so close, there was a great deal of it needed to be done: invitations needed to be sent out, proclamations were begging to be signed, and most of all, her coronation speech needed to be written. Of course, all of her work vied to be the most important and the most attention-worthy, but even the normally-organized princess was having a difficult time staying on top of it all. It was safe to say that she was worn out, over-worked and over-stressed. There was so much to worry about, from the smallest details of her coronation, to the bigger picture of what would come after it. Zelda knew that her peoples' opinions of her were not as encouraging as they could have been, but she hoped that she could make up from the mistakes she had made several months ago and prove to everyone, including herself, that she was the best ruler Hyrule could possibly have.

It would take nothing short of a miracle from the goddesses themselves.

Such troubling thoughts were the only things that Zelda seemed to be able to focus on, even as she continued the every-busy work laid out in front of her. What she wanted more than anything else at a moment like this was some sort of relief, a way for her to get her mind off of her pressing concerns and the immense stress that kept her up every night. After all, she was only eighteen, mush too young to be dealing with the pressures and responsibilities of running an entire kingdom on her own. She knew that overworking herself the way that she was certainly could not be good for both her physical and mental health, but as much as she wanted a break, she knew that she had no time for one. Her kingdom depended on her, and she could not start slacking off on her duties when she was only a few days away from being crowned queen.

A sudden rapping on her office doors broke the princess out of her deep thought, causing her to lift her eyes away from the set of invitations she had been penning, but only for a moment. "Enter, please," she called somewhat absently, resuming her writing as the door creaked open and one of her attendants slipped in, but not before respectfully bowing to Zelda. As was customary, the princess nodded her head to her servant as a sign for them to rise, though she was still consumed in her urgent paperwork.

"Your highness," the attendant began. "I apologize for the interruption during such a busy time."

"Oh, it is quite alright," Zelda said with a patient smile as she finally glanced up towards the attendant, though a part of her hoped that whatever he was here for would not take up too much of her fleeting, valuable time. "I have a feeling that my schedule is only going to become more laborious from here one out, and as such I must learn to balance my time properly and be ready for anything that may come my way. What is it that you wish to tell me?"

"Ah, yes," the attendant inclined his head as he continued. "I came to tell you, as per your request, that the Hero of Twilight has arrived in response to your invitation. However, if you are currently preoccupied at the moment, I can tell him to wait until you are available to meet with him at your earliest convenience, your highness."

This information immediately caught the princess's attention from the moment her servant mentioned the hero. She had only sent her message to him via a messenger hawk yesterday morning, and yet he had already responded and came to see her, something that she had not been expecting in the slightest. She had figured that he would have been too busy with other important affairs to come simply to have an audience with her, and yet he had. And the last thing Zelda wanted to do was be a rude host and make him wait for her to finish her mountains of work, since most of it would likely never get finished anyway.

"Actually, no," she said as she began to organize her paperwork into neat, more presentable piles on her desk. "I shall meet with him now, if that suits him best. You may send him here to me whenever he is ready."

"Are you quite certain, your highness?" the attendant asked with a frown, stealing a glance at all of the work Zelda still had left to do. "I am sure the hero would understand if you are too busy at the present time to meet with him."

The princess simply shook her head, giving her servant a kind, yet authoritative look to show him that she was serious. "I am certain," she affirmed. "Whatever work I need to accomplish, I shall finish it in my own time. Far be it from me to keep such a distinguished guest waiting."

The attendant merely nodded in response and bowed before he exited the room. "As you wish, your highness."

Once the attendant shut the door behind him, Zelda once again let her thoughts wander to the hero and how little she knew of him. She was admittedly excited about seeing him again after all of these months, about hearing more of his journey across Hyrule and about what he had been doing in the aftermath of it. And aside from that, she wished to know more of him, of his background, his personality, his interests, his values. What exactly had prompted the goddesses to choose him as their hero, out of every other person in the world? There had to be a reason, and it was something that Zelda simply couldn't wait to find out.

* * *

Link was silent yet observant as he followed the royal attendant down the castle hallway towards Zelda's personal study, admittedly still surprised that the princess was willing to see him so soon. He had only just arrived at the castle less than an hour ago and already he was about to receive an audience with the princess herself. He had expected to wait at least several hours, if not even a few days before speaking with her, but sure enough, as the attendant had told him, she had requested to see him as soon as possible, though the hero hadn't the faintest idea as to why.

Yet at the same time, even Link had to admit to himself that he was feeling much better now than he had when he left Ordon that morning. Throughout much of the ride through the vast Hyrule Field, he found that his thoughts had been dwelling on Ilia and their parting kiss, something that he still wasn't quite sure what to make of it. And yet, upon arrive in Castle Town a while ago, he found that he was finally able to take his mind off of it and instead take in the sights and sounds of the bustling town, a place that was so different from sleepy little Ordon Village. Such things were welcome distractions and filler as opposed to the natural silence that he was often surrounded by in the forest. Perhaps getting away from home for a little while was what he had been needing after all.

Upon arriving at the castle, the hero found that he was actually looking forward to his meeting with the princess, even if the two of them were little more than acquaintances who had been brought together through circumstances that were beyond anyone's control. He wasn't exactly sure how their first real conversation would go, but he had a feeling that the rumors of her being nothing more than a cold, stoic, unipersonal ruler were untrue. After all, if they were, why would she have been so instant on seeing him, even though her coronation was but a few days away?

The attendant finally stopped before a pair of ornate wooden doors and turned to face Link before knocking. "This is the princess's study," the servant said, motioning towards the doors. "When you enter, do not forget to show her majesty the proper forms of respect and etiquette that we have discussed. Do you understand?"

The hero simply nodded, remembering the briefing on manners and pleasantries that he had been given before heading towards the princess's office. He remembered most of them, but for someone who had never had to use such formalities before in his life, Link could only hope that he wouldn't end up offending Zelda in some way simply because of his own lack of experience.

"Very good," the attendant said in his stately tone before turning towards the door and knocking.

"You may enter," the princess's voice, clear and smooth, sounded from the other side of the door, prompting the attendant to open it.

Before Link could even look at Zelda for two seconds, the attendant began announcing him, which, as the hero remembered, was a sign for him to bow in respect. "The Hero of Twilight, Link of Ordon, your highness."

Even though he could hear Zelda's footsteps approaching him, Link did as he had been instructed and kept his head lowered until she came to stand before him. "Greetings, Link," she said, her voice warm, inviting and admittedly melodious, the very sound of it making the hero forget about the etiquette he had been taught and prompting him to glance up at her without even thinking.

For a long moment, both of their minds suddenly went blank as their eyes met for the first time, allowing them both a change to finally get a good look at the other. Link had known Princess Zelda to be beautiful; after all, her regal, lovely appearance was widespread throughout the kingdom. But this was the first time he really noticed it. She wore her classic royal gown, an ornate, elegant outfit accentuated with golden shoulder plates and glimmering jewelry to match the tiara resting on her head. The blonde highlights in her long, light brunette hair seemed to shine in the early-afternoon sunlight that spilled into the room through the large window behind her. Her eyes were a striking shade of icy blue, a color that somehow captivate the hero as he couldn't help but stare into them, completely forgetting that she was royalty and he was not. Her skin was pale, yet flawless and fine, to the point that it almost seemed to be glowing, and her features, both of her shape and her face, were fine and gentle. However, what amazed Link the most about her was that her soft, full pink lips were soon drawn into a soft, easy smile, an almost unreadable smile that the hero had never seen in his life and was too stunned by to return.

At the same time, Zelda could do little else but smile, even if it was as coyly as she was, when she took in Link's appearance for the first actual time. She had no idea how she had not have noticed that he was as handsome as he was during their earlier meetings, but now she took careful note as she studied his face, taking in every tiny detail as she did. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, a very dark, deep shade of blue, with a hidden depth of ferocity and wildness in them, something that drew the princess in even more. His dark blonde bangs swept across his forehead from underneath his forest green cap, which, of course, matched the historic hero's tunic he was wearing perfectly. Even though he was bowing before her, Zelda could tell that he had a strong, lean build, perhaps even a bit muscular, though she wasn't able to particularly tell because of his clothes. But all the same, she found that it was hard for her to take her eyes off of him, having never seen a young man who had managed to catch her eye in such a way and make her mind grow strangely dizzy, but she finally did break her tight gaze on him when they were quickly interrupted by the disgruntled sigh from the attendant who still stood nearby, disapproving the fact that Link had broken royal protocol already.

Shaking her head to clear it, the princess turned towards her attendant and gave him a dismissive nod. "Thank you," she said to him. "You are free to go and carry on with your duties."

The attendant raised his eyebrows at her, taking a brief glance between her and the hero still kneeling before her. "But… your highness…" he began, questioning the young monarch's choice to be left alone with a young man she barely knew. But Zelda, not wanting to hear it at a moment like this, simply shook her head, giving her attendant the final sign to leave, which he reluctantly did, shutting the door and leaving the princess and the hero in the privacy of the room.

"Please, you may stand," Zelda said to Link once the attendant was gone, extending her hand out to him to help him up. The hero hesitantly took it and stood, though he made sure not to hold onto it for too long. The princess smiled at the hero more formally now, noticing that he stood only a few inches taller than her, making her wonder if he was older than her or not. "I apologize for my attendants. They are trained to ensure that everyone who comes to see me is well informed on the proper mannerisms, even if I care little if someone uses them or not. Please, do not feel as though you are obligated to treat me as if I am any different from anyone else, alright?"

Link continued to stare at the princess in awe for a moment, realizing that all of the rumors of her being stuffy and pompous were furthest from the truth. Even though they had barely exchanged any words, he could already tell that she was down to earth, even if her behavior was still polite and befitting of royalty. "Um… alright," he stammered, already scolding himself for not knowing what to say to Hyrule's princess of all people.

"Come, sit," Zelda said as her cordial smile widened. She led the way to the opposite end of the large room, taking a seat behind her desk and motioning for Link to sit in the chair before it. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, pouring herself a cup of the steaming hot liquid from the teapot she always kept on hand in her study.

"No thank you," the hero declined respectfully, though the question did jog his memory as to what he had brought along to give to the princess as opposed to her trying to give something to him. "But that does remind me… I… I mean, my village sent me with a gift to give to you as a tribute." Unsheathing the Ordon Sword strapped to his back, Link lowered his head and presented it to Zelda, something that he should have really done months ago, before disaster struck the land.

The princess smiled graciously as she took the blade into her own hands, examining its simple, sturdy construction with admiration. "Thank you," she said sincerely, looking to the hero once more. "It is lovely. I gladly accept this blade from Ordon on behalf of the royal family of Hyrule and I greatly thank you, Hero of Twilight, for delivering it to me."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that, your highness," the hero said before he could think about stopping himself for the sake of formalities. "You can just call me Link."

Zelda didn't seem to mind this second break of protocol, but rather invited it, glad to finally meet someone who was not solely focused on whether or not they would offend her. "Very well then," she said, still smiling as she put the Ordon Sword away. A beat of somewhat awkward silence filled the room as both of them tried to figure out where to really start this conversation, but fortunately for Link, Zelda was the one who got the ball finally rolling.

"So, Link," she began, folding her hands neatly in front of her on her desk. "How have you been since the last time we encountered one another? I imagine that you were able to recuperate well from the injuries that you sustained during your battle with Ganondorf, yes?"

Link frowned upon the mention of that dangerous battle but nodded nonetheless. "Uh, yeah," he said, though he knew it was something of a lie. He had indeed recovered from his physical wounds, but that didn't mean that all of the scars of his journey had healed. "I've been good, for the most part. Um… what about you?"

Zelda sighed and shook her head, a bitter smile covering her elegant countenance. "I have been quite busy, to say the least," she said truthfully. "As my letter to you stated, my coronation is only in a few days' time and I have been running around in circles day in and day out trying to prepare for it. Sometimes I feel as though I am already queen, even if I do not have the title or the crown yet."

"It's a tough job, isn't it?" the hero asked, though he had never really thought about the task of ruling a country as being as tasking and demanding as the princess was making it sound.

"I suppose it can be at times…" Zelda said with a slight shrug. "But I manage somehow. And besides, my work for this kingdom is in no way any more important that the great service that you have done for this land. I do not know what would have become of Hyrule if you had not stood up to save us in our hour of need. And so I would like to thank you, Link, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you have done for me, my people, and Hyrule itself."

"It was nothing," Link said with a shrug, even though he had nearly died on a number of occasions while trying to liberate Hyrule months ago.

"You don't have to be so modest, Link," Zelda said, her warm smile still present. "After all, if not for you, Hyrule would have fallen into eternal darkness. Now, thanks to your efforts, this kingdom knows peace and prosperity once more. You should take pride in all that you accomplished. You have earned that right after all you went through."

The hero said nothing in response to this, but he found that he finally returned her smile, finding some truth in her words. He had indeed done much to save the land, but up until now, he had not received a single word or act of gratitude for most of it, aside from a simple thank you r the like. And yet, the princess was showing him nothing less than the most sincere thankfulness, for she was perhaps one of the only people in the entire kingdom who actually understood just how grave the circumstances had been, and just how close Hyrule had been to collapse.

"Of course, I have not asked you to come all this way simply for me to offer my thanks," Zelda continued a moment later. "I have selfish reasons for inviting you here. As my invitation said, I would be very honored if you would stay as my honored guest until my coronation in a few days, but that is not all. I would like to go even a step further and honor you publicly, so that all of Hyrule may know what you have done for us, though I haven't quite figured out how yet. I have thought about knighting you, or perhaps appointing you to a high-ranking military position, but neither of those seem truly fitting for the Hero of Hyrule. And so you may have to give me a little time to think of a tribute worthy enough for you, if that is quite alright."

"Oh, you don't have to do anything special for me, princess," Link said, even though he was somewhat flustered over the fact that Zelda wanted to go to such great lengths to show her gratitude to him. Such a thing showed him just how selfless and kind she certainly was, for why else would she be lauding over him as much as she was? However, at the same time, he knew that he was not cut out for either of the positions she had mentioned, be it a knight or in the military. He already knew that such things would restrain and restrict him even more than he already felt in Ordon, which were the last things he wanted as he was still trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

The princess gave the hero a curious look for a moment, surprised at how modest and humble he was. Of course, she had not expected him to be pompous and haughty, and yet he came across as very down-to-earth and self-depreciating, things that intrigued and amazed her greatly. "Yes, I am aware that I do not _have_ to honor you in such a way," she said, with a hint of levity in her tone. "I plan on doing so because I _want _to. I know that you have struggled much, and because of that, you deserve to spend the rest of your days in both comfort and honor. Do you not agree?"

"Well, maybe," Link partially agreed, though he still wasn't sure if he deserved the acclamation she wanted to give him, though he was starting to become more open to the idea. "But who knows? Anything could be a nice change from doing nothing like I've been doing ever since Midna-" The hero stopped himself short the moment he said her name, knowing that this was the first time he had spoken it aloud since she left him months ago. But even simply uttering it now reminded him of all of the remorse he had been feeling ever since his once-constant companion abandoned him.

Zelda frowned, noticing as Link averted his eyes from her and took on a morose expression. "Since Midna returned to the Twilight Realm, you mean?" she finished his thought for him, reading the hint of grief clearly showing in his dark blue eyes. He only nodded, and said nothing more on the subject, hoping that the princess would leave it be, though she had no intentions of doing so. Like Link, Zelda had known Midna well, though in a very different way. When the Twilight Princess had been on the verge of death from overexposure to the light of Hyrule, the princess of Hyrule had temporarily given up her life essence to revive her, knowing that Midna was too important to Link's quest and to the Twilight Realm to be lost. Of course, once everything was said and done, both princesses were alive and well, but during that time, Midna and Zelda's souls had bonded together in a unique way. Though the Twilight Princess had not known it, the Hylian princess had come to know of the former's struggles and trials through that bond, and in a way, she had also come to know of what the hero had gone through as well. And even more than that, it allowed her to sympathize well with him now that the one who they had both come to grow so close to was gone out of their reach.

"You miss her greatly, do you not?" the princess asked gently, and once more, the hero only nodded in response, knowing that there was no use trying to hide such a fact from her. Zelda sighed as she glanced down, wishing that there was something she could do to ease the sorrow he was no doubt feeling. Instead, all she could do was attempt to comfort him the only way she knew how. "Believe it or not, I understand well how you are feeling," she began, prompting Link to look up at her in confusion. He didn't want to call her out on it, but he was beyond confused at her statement. How could she possibly know what it was like for a dear a friend as Midna was to him to leave without barely saying a word? "When Midna departed for the Twilight Realm, I was also quite distressed, though most likely not anywhere near as much as you were," Zelda continued, her tone still cautious yet sad. "Midna and I… Well, in the simplest way I know how to explain it, when I imbued my life essence to her, I bonded with her heart in a way that allowed me to know all of her sorrow and grief, to discover all she had lost and everything that had been torn from her… And… it allowed me to see just how close she was with you."

"If we were so close, then why did she leave?" Link finally asked, unable to hide the bitterness and hurt in his tone. "Why didn't she at least explain to me why she was leaving, instead of just doing it without barely saying a good bye?"

"Link…" the princess said with a sigh as she closed her eyes, understanding his position well, though she also understood what Midna had been thinking at the time that had caused her to sever the connection between the realms of light and Twilight. "I can see that this has been troubling you, most likely for quite some time now. But you have to understand that what Midna did, she did for the sake of both of our worlds. The Twilight Invasion was not the first time Hyrule and the Twilight Realm had clashed in a violent confrontation, but thanks to her, it will hopefully be the last. By destroying the Mirror of Twilight, Midna ensured that both her world and ours would remain safe for years to come. And yet, as she was leaving, I could tell that a part of her did not want to; a part of her would have rather stayed, left the connection open, anything so that she would have been able to stay with you. But she knew what she needed to do and so she made her own sacrifice, even though she knew it would hurt you both. And, if she was here today, I am certain that is exactly what she would say to explain herself."

"I know…" the hero sighed. He had quickly realized after Midna had left that her heart had been in the right place, but that didn't make things any less difficult for him. "But I still miss her… Sometimes I wish I could just talk to her one more time and tell her just how important she was to me, and how I couldn't have been able to do any of what I did without her, and how… how much of a wreck I am without her now…" he trailed off somewhat hopelessly, finding it strangely easy to admit such weakness and pain to the princess, despite the fact that they hardly knew each other. And yet, at the same time, it seemed as though she was the only one who understood, who empathized with him and who listened to him with open ears and an open mind. She did not judge him for his feelings of grief and frustration, but instead she offered herself as both a confidant and a counselor, both of which were things that he knew he needed greatly.

"If only the world was so kind…" Zelda said with equal weariness. "I know that it hurts to lose someone important to you, and that sometimes, that grief does not leave you easily. But at the same time, you must not allow that grief to rule your life. You must find ways to move on with your life and push your sadness aside so that you may find joy in the world once more. Certainly you have friends and loved ones back in your village who can help you do so, do you not?"

"Well, yes…" Link said with a frown, though at the same time he recalled his conversation with Ilia the previous day. "But I doubt that any of them would understand…"

The princess was silent for a moment as their eyes met once more, this time a mutual, unspoken empathy being conveyed by their gaze instead of awe or admiration. Indeed, the Twilight Invasion and the subsequent departure of the Twilight Princess had left them both scarred and pained, both in different ways. And yet at the same time, they both began to realize that they were not alone any longer. For so long, both Link and Zelda had been keeping to themselves about their respective struggles. The princess hid away from the rest of the world how she had been held a prisoner in her own castle, and had been possessed by the King of Thieves and used as little more than his puppet against the hero. At the same time, the hero had grown to be reclusive and distant, hardly speaking a word to anyone about his rough travels, of how he had been forcibly transformed into a wolf, almost killed many times in a number of different ways and at the end of it all had lost the one who had come to be his closest friend. But now, as the two of them began to let their pent-up inhibitions go, they were beginning to realize that they had more in common than perhaps anyone could have guessed. Which was what prompted Zelda to smile softly at Link, hoping to reassure the hero who had saved her and her kingdom that he did not have to be alone now that his journey was over. "I understand," she said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

The hero stared at her for the longest time, completely forgetting that she was the princess of Hyrule and instead seeing her as someone who was just as remorseful as he was, for many of the same reasons. He saw someone who could be there for him in place of his friends and neighbors in Ordon who tried to support him, but could not know what he had gone through to save them all. He saw someone who he could finally talk to openly, someone who he could tell everything, someone who would understand and listen. And in return, he would be there for her, to support and listen to her as well, and return the great service that she was doing for him simply by giving her the same solace she was offering him. After all, it was the least he could do.

However, before Link could even thank Zelda, a knock on the door sounded loudly throughout the room, breaking the tentative silence between them. Their long-held eye contact finally broke as the princess glanced towards the door, though the hero could detect the slightest hint of distain in her voice as she commanded the person who had knocked to enter.

The same attendant from before stepped inside, causing Zelda to frown in subtle frustration, for she already knew what was coming. "I am terribly sorry for interrupting, your highness," the attendant said, giving her a slight bow. "But I am afraid that some business concerning your coronation has come up, and it requires your immediate attention."

"Ah, yes," the princess said with a sigh, rising to stand up from her chair as she turned to the hero once more. "Link, I am terribly sorry that I have to cut our meeting short, but I am afraid that I must attend to this matter. However, I trust that you plan on staying for my coronation, right?"

"Yes," Link answered almost immediately, almost as if it was on instinct. He found that a large part of him not only did not want to return to Ordon so soon, but that he also wanted to spend more time with Zelda, even despite the fact that she was clearly so busy and that they had only really had one actual conversation. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to part ways with the princess who had graciously invited him to meet with her, who had offered to bestow riches and glory upon him in response to his quest, who had allowed him to speak about his feelings openly and honestly, and who had given him the wisdom and assurance that he had not had for so long.

"Very well then," Zelda said, clearly pleased to hear this. "I shall have one of my attendants set you up in one of our guest chambers for the next several days. However, I do hope that we will be able to speak more before my coronation."

"Me too," the hero said with a small smile as he also stood, before bowing before the princess once again as he had been instructed. She acknowledged his bow with a small smile and a formal farewell as she headed for the door to leave, but not before glancing behind her at him and giving him one last kind smile, one that left him with a lingering good feeling that he could not explain.

Even despite their vastly different social classes, it was already becoming clear to both the hero and the princess that they were already starting to form a bond, as new as it may have been. Already they both knew that their hearts were torn in similar ways, that they had both lost someone who had been very important to them both and that they had sacrificed much to protect the land they both loved. But even beyond that, there seemed to be something else between them, something that neither of them was able to explain yet. But for now, both Link and Zelda knew that, in light of all they had gone through and all they had seen and done, and the fact that they only knew each other on a surface level, both of them had already started to take a liking to the other, even if it was only on a base level. And because of that, both the Hero of Twilight and the Princess of Hyrule knew that they could now easily call themselves friends.

* * *

**Ok, so like I said, kinda boring, but this sorta stuff establishes things for later on. As for the next chapter, things will become more interesting as we tackle some important lore along with some more bonding for Zelda and Link, this time on an even more personal level! So yay! But anyway, before I go, I'd like to do a little self advertising and direct you towards my newest project, a detailed novelization of Hyrule Warriors (my new greatest love)! If you want to check it out, feel free to go to my profile and find it if you haven't already. You won't be sorry! But anyway, as always, don't forget to follow/favorite and of course, REVIEW! Until next time!**


	5. Secrets of the Triforce

_Ok, so guess who sat down and wrote this chapter all in one sitting (and by that I mean in the course of like 12 hours, with frequent distractions and finished at 3 AM but whatever)? This gal! Yay! But then again, this chapter wasn't really that hard to write so whatever. Mostly its just pre-ship and lore, but a lot of that lore is important for stuff that is coming along a lot later on... ;) ;) But for now, I would like to thank Skydragon74193, Fairytailfan900, CupcakePride101, GGU, and Shadowwitch042190 for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

_**TheJediAvenger**: Well aren't we all waiting for Midna? LOl, but yes, she is coming back in time... ;)_

_**RandomButLoved**: Yeah I think so too. I figured that, just by the glimpses of how she acted in the game and even by her design, she is much more prim and proper than other versions of Zelda (also because she is the only one out of the three that does not have Link as a childhood friend so...) And here we have another establishing chapter, mostly centered around lore and Link and Zelda getting more comfortable around each other, so yay! And as for Verona, she'll kinda be like Cia, but less obsessed over Link... hahahaha ;)_

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: In HW? Oh, yeah that's pretty much a given considering my tendency to ship Zelink incredibly hard. Oh, and thank you very much :)_

_**Legionary Prime:** TP is a great game. Totally try it if you can! And yeah, I liked the bonding too, and there will be even more here!_

_**CupcakePride101**: Yeah, TP Zelink used to be hard for me to envision too, since they don't really interact that much in the game... I've never really liked Ilia/Link, but as far as Midlink goes, they're my Brotp more than anything else, since I'd like to think they're more friends than anything else (and that relationship will be present here) Glad that you liked the chapter! :D_

_**Pouda-P:** It certainly is! And I feel the same. Zelink is by far my OTP, but as far as Midlink goes... I think they're more best friends more than anything else (which is how I'm gonna write them here!) _

_**Zelda the Wise:** Hahaha thanks a lot! Glad to know you're happy AND that you like my work! :D_

_Alrighty, well that's it for this time! Now, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 4: Secrets of the Triforce_

"_After the gods had finished their work, they left the world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle known as the Triforce."  
-Prologue, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past_

The hero sat on the edge of the bed, examining the room that the princess was allowing him to stay in with awe as he had been doing for what felt like the past several hours. He had never before stayed in such an elegant, luxurious space before; in fact, the entire room alone was roughly as large as his humble home back in Ordon Village. The grandeur of it all, from the cloud-like downy bed, to the large windows overlooking Castle Town, to the ornate furniture that decorated the room all partially intimidated Link, who was so used to the natural ruggedness of his forest home. He could scarcely believe that he had all this space to himself, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was the sort of luxury that Zelda had lived in all her life.

The hero smiled slightly upon thinking about the princess as he rose to stand and step towards the window that led to the balcony of the room, watching the aftermath of twilight as the nighttime stars began to appear in the now-clear skies. Ever since his meeting with Zelda earlier, Link couldn't deny that he had been feeling much better in the past few hours alone than he had in months, even if it was for the simple reason that he finally had someone to confide in, someone to talk to about how he had struggled, both then and now. He knew that the princess probably wouldn't be able to fill the same role that Midna had for him, which was that of perhaps his closest friend, but he could already tell that something was starting to happen between them. Something had drawn him in to her, whether it was her immaculate beauty, her kind, soft-spoken words, or something else entirely, but the hero was starting to realize that the more he thought about her, the more he wanted to see her again. He knew that she was incredibly busy preparing for her coronation, as well as taking care of her kingdom in general, but he couldn't resist. He knew that it would be risky and improper, but something inside of him was just begging to be near her once more. Even if he wasn't entirely sure why, Link knew that he just _had _to see her again, and of course, he wasn't patient enough to wait.

* * *

Zelda sighed to herself as she sat before her bedroom vanity, finally taking off her tiara for the night, which was a sign that she was leaving behind her royal duties until tomorrow. While she had accomplished most of what she had intended to get done, she already knew that the next day would bring a whole new list of tasks and responsibilities. Her work was quickly multiplying on her, to the point that she was finding it quite difficult to be excited for her coronation as she should have been. Preparations for the ceremony itself were taking up most of her time, in addition to all of her other normal royal duties, to the point that she was beginning to wonder how she had not collapsed under all of the pressure she was under yet.

But as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she was unable to hold back a small smile as she thought back to her meeting with the hero earlier that afternoon. The princess realized that her first actual conversation with him had been nothing like she had anticipated. A part of her had expected him to be pompous and arrogant, prideful of his great accomplishments and more than accepting of any praise and honor given to him. And yet, much to her amazement, Link was nothing like that. He was humble, good-natured and modest, turning away superficial forms of gratitude in place of a simple, honest thanks. And yet, at the same time, Zelda had discovered that he was hurting, that he was troubled and lonely, even despite how much good he had done for the land. She couldn't help but feel sorry of him, but not in a depreciating way. She knew that he was strong and resilient, but at the same time, he was only human. Like everyone else, he felt grief and loss, and he was certainly entitled to; after all, he had lost someone very important to him, and the princess knew well that there was a very slim chance that either of them would ever encounter the Twilight Princess again.

But even so, Zelda's soft smile widened as she thought more about her interactions with Link thus far, knowing that even if they had only spent an hour together at most, it was easy to see that they were already on the road to becoming fast friends. And perhaps, that was exactly what the princess needed: someone who was not royalty, who was not always giving her a list of things to do or rules to follow, but instead someone who she could simply talk to as if she weren't the princess of Hyrule, but instead just a normal person, something that she had never really experienced before. Zelda couldn't explain why, but a large part of her couldn't wait to see Link again, even though she knew that it could be quite a while until she could thanks to her pressing royal tasks. _What a pair we make… _the princess thought, shaking her head with a small laugh. _The princess of Hyrule, born and raised in the lap of luxury, and the Hero of Twilight, brought up in the untamed forests of Ordon… Who would have ever thought…?_

Zelda was abruptly brought out her musings however, upon hearing a sudden rapping against her balcony window. She sprung up out of her chair, wrapping her silk robe around herself tighter as she cautiously turned towards the window. "What in Nayru's name…?" she wondered aloud as she headed over to the glass doors, trying to figure out who could be calling on her at such a late hour in the evening, and in such an unorthodox way.

However, upon seeing the hero standing right outside on her balcony, she couldn't help but give him an incredulous, though pleasantly surprised smile. "Link?!" she exclaimed, unlocking the doors and opening them for him, allowing a rush of cold air from outside to pour into the room. "What in the world are you doing here?!"

Link gave her a small, somewhat rebellious grin, glad to see that he had finally found the right room after about an hour of scaling the castle's rooftops and balconies in a search for her. But nonetheless, he inclined his head in respect to her, though he did not bow as he had been instructed to that morning, knowing that Zelda wouldn't mind if he didn't. "I wanted to see you again," he explained, still smiling softly at her. "But when I asked some of your servants, none of them would tell me where your room was. It was almost like they didn't want me to find you…"

"Well, I wonder why…" Zelda said with a small giggle. "A castle guest with no royal background or official clearance trying to find the princess of Hyrule in her personal chambers at night… That is certainly in line with royal protocol, would you not agree?"

The hero laughed, realizing that despite her formal manner of speaking, the princess actually had a pretty good sense of humor. "I guess not," he said. "But eventually, I just decided to see if I could find you myself. I hope you're not mad or offended or anything."

"Oh, I am not in any means," Zelda said sincerely. "In fact, I am actually quite pleased to see you again, Link. Please, do come in." She opened the door wider for him, ignoring the wintery wind that was spilling into the otherwise warm room. "Goddesses forbid that the Hero of Twilight, who struck down many a great fell beasts in his quest to save this land, meet his end from a death of cold."

With another amused laugh, Link accepted her invitation, stepping into her lavish chambers, which, as he had expected, were even more extravagant than the ornate guest room he was staying in. Zelda was quick to shut the balcony doors behind him, before rushing to the other side of the room and locking the main bedroom door tight. The last thing that she wanted was for the hero to be thrown out of the castle for something as insignificant as visiting her without being scheduled. "So," she said, turning towards him and giving him a light smile. "What might be so important that you took it upon yourself to seek me out as this untimely hour?"

"Well… nothing really," the hero said, finally noticing that the princess was wearing nothing but a pastel pink, somewhat intimate nightgown, a thin robe covering her otherwise bare shoulders and revealing her slender, lovely form even more than her royal wear did. Link quickly looked away from her in favor of glancing around the room instead as he tried to hide the warm rush of red that filled his cheeks, even if he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of her considering how naturally beautiful she was. "I… I guess I'm just feeling a little lonely and I wanted someone to talk to. That room you're letting me stay in is so big and empty, so… I guess I'm feeling a little out of place…"

"The castle must be a far cry from the small village you call home, yes?" the princess asked, giving him a soft smile of understanding as he nodded his response. "I can hardly blame you for feeling this way. All this pomp and luxury must certainly be foreign and daunting to you…"

"I have to admit that you're right," Link said with an insincere frown. "I don't know how you stand it all the time. I'd rather live in Ordon than here any day."

Zelda frowned slightly upon hearing him say this, though she wasn't sure why. "Oh, but certainly there must be something good about the castle, right?" she asked with a somewhat forced grin.

"Well… maybe there is one thing…" the hero said, giving a subdued, good-natured glance towards the princess. She immediately took the hint he was giving her and glanced away from him quickly, hiding her awkward blush and her small, rueful smile.

"Please, Link," she said softly. "Do not tease me. You and I both know that is not true…"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Link asked as his smile faded.

"Because…" she hesitated for a moment, looking towards him and noticing the attentive, listening gaze he was giving her before deciding to continue. "I am hardly the picture of a successful, beloved ruler that I might appear to be. When most people meet me, they immediately assume that I am the cold, distant, untouchable ruler of Hyrule, someone who does not laugh or smile, but who is instead the epitome of grace and regality. That is why most people find me so hard to approach; they are afraid that I am judgmental and cruel… That I am not even on the same level of humanity as they are, but that I sit on some sort of pedestal instead, far out of anyone's reach…"

"And… is that really what you think you're like?" the hero asked, knowing that what she had had just described was nothing like the first impression he had gotten of her that afternoon.

"There are times that I believe that I am…" Zelda admitted with a sigh. "From the time I was a child, I have always been taught that perfection and presence are everything; 'do not speak out of turn, do not be outspoken, do not show weakness and emotion around your subjects'. Royalty is often a heavy weight, one that is not always easy to bear. And my lot in life was made even more difficult during the Twilight Invasion… Certainly in your travels, you have heard the rumors… of how the princess of Hyrule was too weak to stand up for her people, of how she surrendered the moment she found that her back was against a wall, of how she did not even try to put up a fight… I wish that I could make them understand that I did what I had to in order to protect them and this land from untold destruction… All I have ever wanted to be was the kind of leader that my people deserve…"

"And you are," Link said, a bit too boldly, which was why he caught himself when he remembered their contrasting classes. "I mean… Princess, I think you are a wonderful leader. Your choice to surrender to Zant wasn't wrong; it was the smartest, most selfless thing you could have done. And just for the record, I don't think you're cold and heartless at all."

Zelda was genuinely touched by Link's kind, sincere words, having never heard someone speak to her in such a way before. She was silent in awe for a moment, before her lips turned up in the slightest ghost of a smile. "So, if I am not cold and heartless…" she began, taking a small, almost unnoticeable step closer to him. "Then what do you say I am like, Link?"

The hero suddenly became nervous when the princess purposed this question to him, though for what reason he had no idea. "Um… well," he stammered, wishing that it was easier for him to put his thoughts in a proper order. "I think it might be too soon for me to say for sure yet, princess. But… maybe once I get to know you a little better, then I could…"

Zelda smiled in satisfaction with this answer, realizing that for the first time ever, she had finally met someone who did not judge her before they even knew her. "Very well then," she said amicably. "But until then, I have a request for you, Link. Please do not call me 'princess' or any other royal title anymore. From now on, I want you to call me by my actual name: Zelda."

"Whatever you say… Zelda," Link said with a small smile, finding it somewhat odd to refer to the princess of Hyrule by her first name alone.

Zelda nodded, satisfied that he would. "Thank you, Link," she said, not even realizing how close together they were standing now. There was only about a foot of distance separating them, but neither the princess nor the hero minded. However, they both finally took notice of this a moment later, when they both simultaneously felt a burst of warmth flicker on the backs of their left hands. They both glanced down at their hands to see that they both shared the same mark, a set of three triangles. For both of them, there was one of these three triangles that shined a brighter gold than the other two; for the princess, it was the lower left one, and for the hero it was the one to the lower right.

"What is this thing anyway?" Link asked with a frown, knowing that this mark had been on his hand for as long as he could remember, but he still didn't have a name for it, nor did he know why it sometimes glowed while at other times it remained dormant. "Do you know?"

"Yes," Zelda said, glancing away from her hand to look up at him in confusion. "You mean to say that you do not?" The hero shook his head, wondering how the princess knew any more of it than he did. "Well, I suppose that is understandable…" she said with a soft sigh. "Such legends have fallen out of the common knowledge of most of the people of Hyrule… I suppose the only ones who know anything of it anymore are the members of the royal family…"

"What is it?" Link asked once more, immensely curious now that he finally had someone who could tell him about it.

"It is called the Triforce," Zelda began, leading the way over to a large bookcase the lined one of her walls. "According to Hyrulian legend, it is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. It was crafted by the three golden goddesses when they created the world, and it serves as the basis for Hyrule's providence."

"Golden goddesses?" the hero asked, even more confused than before.

"Oh my…" the princess said, frowning back at him as she pulled a few thick books from her shelves. "You really do not know the old legends… do you?"

"No," Link said with a shrug. "I guess I don't. But I'd love it if you'd tell me more."

Zelda's frown quickly turned to a smile, her eyes filling up with excitement upon realizing that she could finally share her vast knowledge of Hylian lore with someone. "Very well," she said, taking her stack of books and setting them down upon her desk, motioning for Link to come stand beside her. "Before I begin, you should know that everything I am about to tell you is absolutely and completely true. While these things exist in the pages of story books and legends now, they all really happened ages ago, do you understand?"

"Yes," the hero nodded, detecting the seriousness in her tone.

The princess also nodded in response, giving him a small smile before cracking one of the tomes before her open to a page that showed the vague shapes of three feminine beings. "Before time began and before life and spirits existed," she began, reciting this tale from memory instead of reading out of the book. "The three golden goddesses descended upon the plane of chaos and birthed our world within it. The first goddess, was Din, the goddess of power, who, with her strong, flaming arms, crafted the solid, red earth. Next was Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, who brought the laws of nature and order to the world, imbuing it with both science and magic. Finally, the goddess of courage, Farore, poured her rich, vibrant soul upon the world, creating all forms of life and living things that would uphold the law. With their great works completed, the goddesses departed from the world that they had created, but as they did so, they left behind a symbol of their power, a sacred golden relic known as the Triforce."

Zelda turned the page of her book to show an image of the Triforce, all three of its pieces united as they sat against a pure golden sky. "Of all mystical forces within the world, none compares to the awesome might of the Triforce," she continued, wrapped up in the tale just as much as Link was. "It is said that whoever claims the Triforce in full, will have any desire of their heart granted, gains nothing less than complete omnipotence, and is imbued with power, wisdom, and courage only dwarfed by the goddesses themselves. It has the power to determine Hyrule's fate depending on what kind of heart wields it, and so, as you can imagine, it has been the object of countless wars between the forces of light and darkness."

"Wait," the hero interrupted, a sudden thought occurring to him. "If the golden goddesses created the world, then they wouldn't just let someone evil use the Triforce to destroy it, would they?"

"I am afraid that it is rather… complicated…" Zelda said with a frown. "While the goddesses wish for only peace and prosperity for the world, the Triforce only contains their essences, not their will. It is unable to discriminate between good and evil motives, and therefore, it will grant the desires of any soul who manages to obtain it."

"So… what does any of that have to do with these marks that we have?" Link asked, not seeing how everything she was telling him added up.

"Ah, good question," the princess said with the kind of encouraging smile that a teacher might give a student. "Allow me to answer it with one of my own. Tell me, Link: have you ever heard the tale of the Hero of Time?"

"Well, of course," the hero said as if it were obvious. The legend of the Hero of Time was a beloved Hylian tale, passed down for generations, which told of the courageous hero who traversed time to save the kingdom from darkness. "Everyone in Hyrule has, right?"

"Most everyone, I suppose," Zelda said thoughtfully. "But it was during those days, in which the young Hero of Time drew the blade of evil's bane in order to stop the King of Thieves' dark designs, that the Triforce was split apart for the first time…"

The princess opened another one of her books, which depicted another illustration of Triforce. "Upon pulling the Master Sword from the ancient pedestal of time, the Hero of Time unknowingly opened the way for the King of Thieves to enter into the resting place of the Triforce, the Sacred Realm. Uncontested by the hero, the evil king laid his hands upon the Triforce. However, he did not know another ancient legend about the Triforce, one that was passed down through the ages by the now extinct Sheikah tribe. The legend stated that if one whose heart contained an unequal balance of Power, Wisdom and Courage were to touch the Triforce, then the golden relic would instantly shatter into three pieces. Only one piece of it would remain with whoever laid their hands upon it, the piece representing the virtue that they most believed in and valued most within their heart. The other two pieces would go out into the land and seek out those who would be the most worthy wielders for them, hiding within their souls as dictated by destiny. When the King of Thieves touched the Triforce, as you can image, his dark heart was out of balance. The Triforce shattered, and the crest of power was the only one that remained with him. The Triforce of Wisdom was bestowed to the rightful ruler of the land at that time, the young Princess of Destiny, and the Triforce of Courage was entrusted to the Hero of Time himself."

"Even after the King of Thieves' defeat, the pieces of the Triforce remained with their respective wielders," Zelda continued. "When the Hero of Time returned to his original time and warned the Princess of Destiny of the evil king's desires, he was arrested and imprisoned until he was banished to the Twilight Realm many years later. For the rest of their lives, the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny wielded the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom respectively. However, upon their deaths, the Triforce pieces that they held became dormant, passed down along the lines of their descendants, but never appearing again for hundreds of years… Until now…"

The princess turned her gaze away from her book and towards the still softly glowing mark of the Triforce on the back of her hand, as the hero looked at his own. "It is said that those who hold a piece of the Triforce within them shall bear its mark upon the backs of their hands," Zelda went on, finally starting to clarify Link's confusion about it directly. "I have traced my lineage many times before, and every time, I have found with complete accuracy that I am a direct descendant of the Princess of Destiny, the first wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom. It has been passed down through the royal bloodline for centuries, and it has been with me ever since I was young. As you might have guessed by now, Link, you bear the Triforce of Courage, which can only mean that you are descended from the Hero of Time himself."

"Really?" the hero asked with wide eyes, amazed that he could be related to someone as legendary as the Hero of Time. "That's incredible! But wait… you said that the Triforce can grant wishes when it's together… What does it do when it's apart?"

"That is somewhat… difficult to explain…" the princess said, though she was willing to try her best to answer his wonderings. "The only thing that is known for certain is that each Triforce piece, on its own, has different abilities and attributes. Though I am sure that the tale of the Hero of Time would shed some much needed light on the subject, a great deal of the hero's later life has been obscured from history, and so there is a great deal that is unknown. However, being the sacred artifact that it is, one can assume that each piece imbues its wielder with the essence of its respective goddess, which for me would be Nayru and for you that would be Farore. But even so, all we know about the abilities of each Triforce piece rests within rumors and legends. As we both saw firsthand while fighting Ganondorf, who had the Triforce of Power, those who bare Din's mark are granted immense strength, both physical and mystical, making it quite dangerous if it is misused. Thankfully, I believe Din stripped him of that power upon his defeat, meaning that it is the only one of the three that no longer currently resides in Hyrule. From what I know from my own experience with the Triforce of Wisdom, it grants divine judgment, as well as a few… mystical abilities, such as healing powers, telepathy, and some limited ability to use magic."

"You can use magic?" Link asked, looking at Zelda in awe and disbelief and knowing that she was becoming more fascinating with each passing second.

"To a certain degree," she said with a bashful grin, not liking to brag over her largely mediocre abilities. "I am no great sorceress, like the Princess of Destiny was said to be in her later years, but I dabble from time to time. Of course, since magic is a dying art in Hyrule now, I have had to teach myself all that I know. Would you like to see?"

The hero nodded insistently, taking a step back to give her some space. Taking in a deep breath, the princess positioned her hands a few feet away from each other, focusing her energies on creating light. And sure enough, a moment or two later, a small orb of golden light formed between her palms, though it only lasted for a brief second before it burst into hundreds of particles and disappeared.

Zelda let out a disappointed sigh, but Link simply stared at her in awe, wondering how in the world she did that. "That was amazing!" he exclaimed with excitement, making the princess slightly laugh at how his dark blue eyes lit up like a child's might.

"Thank you," she nodded modestly. "It still needs work though. I excel much more at healing magic, like the kind I used to revive Midna, as well as channeling my powers of light through a physical object, such as the bow that I used when we fought Ganondorf."

The hero was still smiling at the princess as she took her place beside him once more. "Wow," he said, thoroughly impressed. "I wish I could do something like that."

"Wait… You mean… you cannot?" Zelda asked, looking over at him with a frown.

"No," Link said as his own smile faded. "In fact, before the invasion, I didn't even think magic was real; no one in my village did. We all thought it was just a myth."

"Well… That is very interesting…" the princess said, though she was still bewildered at the fact that he had not used magic to aid him in his difficult quest whatsoever. "And yet, of the three pieces of the Triforce, it is said that the crest of Courage is the most mysterious. Because so much is unknown about the Hero of Time, history does not really reveal how he might of used its power. It has been said that the Triforce of Courage doesn't grant its wielders the same kind of magic as the other two… instead giving them certain attributes and skill sets instead. There are so many theories about it that I could not even begin to list them all. Some say that it provides protection against evil energy, others say that it imbues immediate mastery over any weapon its wielder touches, and yet others say that it does nothing at all. Personally, I believe that its full power has yet to be tapped open, and the same goes for the pieces of Wisdom and Power as well. I cannot help but feel as though there is a greater power lying within each piece, one that simply has not been awakened yet."

"Well, who knows?" the hero asked, giving the princess a small smile of encouragement, wanting to uncover this mystery just as much as she did. "Maybe we'll be the ones to discover it someday."

"Perhaps," Zelda said, returning his smile as she closed the book in front of her. "But for now, I would like to show you something else. Come with me."

She led the way towards the elegant fireplace that was warming the entire room, above which a large painting hung that instantly caught Link's attention. Three separate couples were depicted on the canvas, all three of them bearing a strange semblance to one another; but what struck the hero most was the bottommost pair, who, without a doubt looked identical to both himself and the princess.

"You must be wondering why I have a painting of the two of us in my bedroom, are you not?" Zelda asked as she nodded up towards the picture with a coy smile.

"Um, yeah, a little," Link said with honesty, confused as to where such an image had even come from.

"My ancestor, the Princess of Destiny, had this painting commissioned around five hundred years ago," the princess explained. "Its purpose was to depict the eternal cycle of reincarnation and rebirth between two souls that appear in this land every time it faces disaster: the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero. Little is known about the origins or features of either. All that's known is that they are bound together throughout time, forever embroiled in the struggle against the forces of evil."

"So… I'm guessing that's the two of us, then?" the hero asked, looking up towards their images on the painting above.

"I have been led to believe so…" Zelda mused, also looking at the painting she had seen so many times. "I do not know how my ancestor managed to foresee it, but clearly we must be, for why else would we be depicted in her painting? And even more than that, the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny both shared that bond as well, as you can see from their position in the center of the painting."

Link looked at the couple above himself and Zelda, to find the somewhat obscured image of a lovely young woman with shortened golden hair and a heroic young man wearing what was clearly the same tunic he now wore; the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time themselves. "Who are those two above them?" he asked, referring to the couple that mounted the image, another hero clad in green and a young woman girded in a pure white gown.

"I am not entirely sure to be honest," the princess admitted, which was a rare thing considering her vast knowledge of Hyrule's intensive lore. "I suppose they were the predecessors to the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny, but I have found next to no information on them in my studies. The only ones who would know such ancient history as the time period that they could have lived in were the Sheikah tribe, but all of its members have been dead for centuries and their records have been lost to the ages…" She sighed, wishing that she knew more, something that her constant drive for wisdom and knowledge always led her to. "It is a shame how fragile history can often be… But fortunately, sometimes remnants of the past are able to survive into the present."

With a small smile, Zelda turned to face the mantle of the fireplace, taking into her hands the two objects that were resting upon it that Link had not previously noticed. As the princess turned to face him once more, the hero was able to see exactly what they were; in one hand, she held a golden harp, one that could be easily positioned against one's hip and strummed by its many strings, and in the other, she held an ocarina composed of an almost glowing blue stone, the mark of the Triforce branded upon a silver band wrapped around its mouthpiece. "Legend says that these two sacred instruments are profoundly connected to the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero," Zelda said, holding the harp up first so she could explain its purpose. "This is the Goddess's Harp, an heirloom that has been handed down through the royal family for centuries. The Princess of Destiny owned it, and it has been protected by her bloodline ever since. It is said to have magical properties when it is played, but even after years of studying it, I have never been able to see any effects from it." She placed the harp aside as she focused her attention on the ocarina next. "The same goes for this, the Ocarina of Time. Composed of an unknown, yet mystical stone material, it is said that the Ocarina of Time aided the Hero of Time greatly on his journey. It is profoundly connected to the Spirit of the Hero, just as much as the Goddess's Harp is connected to the Blood of the Goddess. And so, I believe this belongs to you." With a kind smile, the princess held the ocarina out towards the hero, though he was hesitant to take it from her.

"Are you sure?" Link asked, wondering why she was so willing to entrust him with something that was so clearly valuable.

"I am," Zelda said with a nod, folding the Ocarina of Time into his hands. For a brief moment, she kept her hands over his, noticing how their respective Triforce marks seemed to resonate even brighter the moment they touched. However, she soon pulled her hands away, a light blush lighting up her pale cheeks as she handed the instrument off to him once and for all.

With their discussion of Hyrulian lore having come to a close, the hero and the princess turned their conversation to other topics as they eventually came to sit together on the edge of Zelda's bed. Instead of talking about Hyrule or the Triforce, they began to talk about one another, neither of them afraid to simply converse as if they were old friends instead of new ones. For the next several hours, they simply learned more about each other through natural conversation; Zelda told Link of her largely boring experiences of a life spent within the castle walls, but the hero listened intently and found many of her tales interesting all the same. But by far, for the princess, the most interesting part of the conversation was when she prompted the hero to focus on himself instead of her. He told her of his mission, of his daring battles and death-defying explorations; he gave her an insight into what his life was like before that, telling her of Ordon, of the children and even of Ilia, though he made sure not to mention the kiss they had shared just that morning. And, to Zelda's delight, he even described the sights he had seen throughout his travels across Hyrule, many of which were things that she had never had a chance to see for herself.

"You mean to say that you actually encountered real yetis?" the princess asked with an amused smile as the hero told her of his time upon treacherous Snowpeak Mountain.

"Yeah," Link nodded with a grin as he remembered the experience. "And I even managed to help one of them find ingredients for his soup, even if it was by accident. You wouldn't believe how mad both me and Midna got when we ended up finding a pumpkin in one of those chests instead of a key like we needed."

Zelda couldn't help but burst into gales of clear, melodious, unabridged laughter, something that Link had never heard before, but was enthralled by all the same. "You know, you have a really nice laugh," he said honestly, giving her a small grin. "It goes well with your smile."

The princess blushed at this compliment, glancing away from him demurely. She knew that he was not trying to flirt, as some other gentlemen she had encountered in the past had, but instead he was actually being honest with her, something that she greatly appreciated. "Thank you…" she said softly, before changing the subject. "I must say, Link, that you are very fortunate to have traveled as much as you have, and to have seen as much as you did. I wish that I could say that same, but I have not even dared to venture outside of the castle complex on my own accord in years…"

"What?" the hero asked, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at her. "You mean… you haven't left the castle at all?"

Zelda shook her head, her smile turning into a frown. "I had never even been outside of the walls of Castle Town before our fight with Ganondorf," she said wistfully, wondering what true freedom must have been like. "Largely, it was because I had always been too busy to, but I it is not as though I am not allowed to leave. I suppose the reason that I haven't is… well, I feel safe here, inside of the castle, my home… To be perfectly honest, I must admit that I am the slightest bit afraid of what might be out there, in a world that I have never really known or have been a part of…"

"You don't have to be afraid of it," Link said reassuringly. "It's really not that bad out there."

"And I believe you…" the princess said with a sigh. "If I could guess, I would say that perhaps I fear the unknown more than anything else… An unfortunate product of how I was raised in shelter and privilege…"

The hero was silent for a moment, trying to think of a way to coax her out of her shell even more than he already had throughout the evening that they had spent together. "If I went with you, would you go see what it's like out there?" he asked, not trying to push her into anything that she would be too uncomfortable with. "We could start small, like just going into town at first, before going to other places. I just think that, since you're about to be queen, you should at least know what your kingdom looks like before taking that step."

Zelda turned to look at him, deeply appreciating just how much he cared about something that was so trivial and insignificant. And it was because of that care, that she was not about to blindly turn his kindness away. "You are right," she said with resolve. "I should see my land… I will go with you, and experience all that my kingdom has to offer."

"Good," Link said as his smile widened and became more impulsive and daring. "So, how does tomorrow morning sound?"

"Tomorrow?" the princess asked incredulously. "I cannot possibly… Link, my coronation is only a few days away and I have to-"

"Don't you want to see Hyrule, Zelda?" the hero asked, cutting her off as if he had forgotten she was royalty, which he largely had by now. "Then I think it can wait. Besides, from the way you've been talking, it sounds like you need really to take a break from all this stress you're under. And who knows? You might even have fun."

Zelda smiled, knowing that fun was something she could always stand to be better acquainted with. "Very well then," she agreed, not needing any more convincing. For a moment, she paused and looked into his eyes once more, finding a reckless courage and open freedom in them that both enticed and terrified her all at once. And yet, her heart began to pound with excitement as she thought of the adventure that he was offering her, one that would solely be between the two of them, a thought that, for some reason, excited her even more. "Tomorrow morning it is."

* * *

**Yay! Preceding ship and bonding! Lore that is foreshadowing things to come later on! Yay! But yeah, a lot of the lore mentioned in this chapter about the Triforce will be much important for later on, so keep it in the back of your head! Anyway, next chapter is largely going to be more cute, fluffy shipping between Link and Zelda, the two of them getting to know each other more and whatever, but then after that we get some angst and foreshadowing! Yay! But all the same, I'm glad that this chapter is out of the way, because it means I can move on to the next chapter of Hyrule Warriors! Yay! So, if you liked, don't forget to REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Until next time! :D**


	6. In Plain Sight

_Ok, so I know this took much longer than I wanted it to... Blame the dreaded writer's block, cause I got it REALLY bad with this chapter, so I apologize for how lame this chapter might seem... :P Anyway, here we have mostly fluff, so yeah... But at least its building bonding between Link and Zelda, which we'll need for later on! :D So for now, I wanna give a big thanks to RightHandOfPalpatine, BrandonBGamer, Link the Hero of Light, PrincessZeldaSheikah, NoSignalBlueScreen, and Blade Assassin for following/favoriting! Anyway, now onto the reviews!_

_**Link The Hero of Ligh**t: Glad that you like it! And for all intents and purposes of this story, the hidden skills don't count as magic, since they're pretty much glorified fancy sword moves... :P (still cool though!)_

_**Clover**: Yes, they are! :D_

_**explodingbunnies52**: You're welcome! :D_

_**Zelda the Wise**: Yep, in fact, Midna is coming up here in a chapter or so, so keep an eye out! :D And as for Zelda finding out about the kiss, who says she has to know? Ahahahaha... And as for Agitha... hm... I'm not sure how I would fit her in here... Now, of course she's going to be in my HW novelization, so look out for her there! :D_

_**RandomButLoved**: Nah, this chapter is full of good moments between the two of them, but you are right about shadows approaching them... And yes, there are going to be so many connections to the past two stories here! :D And I can't wait for the coronation either (let's just say there's gonna be tons of Frozen inspiration apparent in it!)_

_**GO ZeldaXLink**: Glad you're enjoying it! :D_

_**Jarvis R. Yeriel**: Yeah, I had to set some lore up for later on though... And yeah, I think Zelda would agree with you on the status of royalty. The last thing she wants is to be viewed as some sort of goddess, cause she's not and at least she knows that (unlike some other royals in other works)_

_Alrighty, so there you have it! Let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 5: In Plain Sight_

"_There's something happening here,  
There's something here that I just can't explain,  
I know I'm where I belong,  
Deep down inside I knew all along…"  
-Snow Patrol, I Won't Let You Go_

The next morning saw both Link and Zelda rising with the sun, meeting on the balcony of the princess's room so they could begin their day together. Since it was light outside this time, the hero had a significantly easier time locating the monarch's bedroom than he had last night. Zelda herself had almost convinced herself to insist to Link that she wasn't able to put any of her royal duties off, but in the end, she decided that a single day off wouldn't cause too much harm; after all, she deserved it considering all of the work she had been doing recently.

The princess was just about ready to go when she heard the hero knocking upon her balcony doors, and she of course didn't hesitate to let him in. "Good morning, Link," she greeted him with a warm smile, pulling the dark blue cloak she was wearing around herself tighter upon feeling how chilly the air outside was.

"Good morning," he responded with an equal smile to hers, pausing before he could say anything else upon noticing her appearance and just how different she looked when she was not girded in her royal wear. She wore a simple violet gown underneath her warm hooded winter cloak, and her long brown hair was tied up into a neat, yet elegant bun. She was bereft of her tiara of course, as that would give away her royal standing; after all, Zelda wanted to take this as an opportunity mingle with her people as if she were one of them, rather than above them. But all the same, Link couldn't deny that she looked every bit as lovely as she did in her full dress and regalia. "Are you ready to go?" he asked her when he finally found himself able to take his eyes off of her.

"Yes, I am," the princess said with a nod. "But I must admit that I am quite nervous… I have never done something like this before…"

"You have no reason to be nervous," the hero assured her with a smile. "I'll be right beside you the whole time. I promise."

Zelda's tentative smile widened upon hearing him say this, strangely feeling safe and secure by simply knowing that he would be at her side to protect her if need be. "Thank you…" she said with a subtle blush. "Now, I already know that my attendants would certainly scold both of us if they were to discover our plans, and so I purpose that we exit the castle through an alternate route. Would you care to follow me?"

"Lead the way," Link said, completely willing to go wherever the princess led. Zelda beckoned him to come behind her as she slipped out of the bedroom through its main door, though thankfully none of her servants were about at such an early hour of the day. With quiet, stealthy steps, the pair snuck through the empty hallway until they made it to a rather obscure stairway that looked like it had not been used in years. With a somewhat clever grin, the princess led the way down them, the path ahead of them growing ever darker as they descended.

"How do you know about this path?" the hero asked in curiosity once he was sure they were far enough down to be out of anyone's earshot.

"When you are born and raised in a castle as big as this one, you tend to discover things such as this," the princess replied, glad that her knowledge of her palace home was serving them both well now. "I have never taken this way out of the castle entirely, but I do know where it meets its end. According to the studies I have done on the castle's architecture, it should let out right near the outer gates."

"You seem to know something about everything, don't you, Zelda?" Link asked good-naturedly, impressed by just how intelligent the princess appeared to be about almost any subject.

"Oh, you flatter me, Link," Zelda said with a small laugh of amusement as they continued down. "However, I must inform you that it is theoretically impossible for someone to know 'something about everything' as you so simply put it. Even the Triforce of Wisdom does not grant me knowledge on every last subject in the world. After all, there are some things that cannot be studied to be learned; they must be experienced."

"Which is exactly why we're doing this," the hero said with a grin, realizing that somehow, they two of them had managed to set up something of a joking rapport with each other. "And so it looks like the teacher is about to become the student."

Zelda couldn't help but laugh and roll her eyes at this. "And what would your first lesson for me be, 'o great teacher'?" she teased slyly, taking a glance back at him.

"Well, first of all, watch out for that door right in front of you," Link said, looking at the wooden door that they had finally reached at the bottom of the stairs, something that Zelda had failed to see.

"What door-" the princess was abruptly cut off upon roughly colliding with the door in the darkness of the stairwell, before turning back to the hero with an unserious scowl.

"You know, I thought that the princess of Hyrule would be a bit more careful about watching where she's going," Link joked as he passed by her to lead the way instead, though Zelda didn't particularly mind.

"You are a scoundrel, you know that?" the princess laughed with faux aggravation as she followed behind him into the candlelight of another long hallway.

"I've been called worse," the hero shrugged, glancing back at her with a rouge grin that had the slightest hint of flirtation in it, something that enticed Zelda, though she wasn't quite sure how.

"You know, I have yet to figure you out yet, Link…" the princess commented as she came to walk beside him. "Yesterday in my office you seemed so despondent and lonely, and yet now you are lighthearted and jovial. I am afraid I do not understand the reason for such a dramatic, sudden shift."

"Well, I think I might know," Link said, still smiling as he glanced over at her. It was true that since his first meeting with her the previous day he had not been as enclosed and distant as he had been for the past several months. It was as though the princess had somehow lifted a weight off his shoulders, and each moment he spent with her, the heaviness that had been on his heart for so long now grew lighter and lighter, allowing his old, often cheerful self to shine through once more. "I met with you."

Zelda's simple faded into an expression of surprise upon hearing this, still amazed that he wanted to insist that she was actually worth spending time with. And yet, hadn't he dedicated this entire day to spending time with her? Certainly, that must have counted for something, perhaps the possibility that she had garnished a genuine friendship with him, a kind of friendship she had never really known before, in which she was allowed to be herself beyond the constraints of her royal title. "Link… I…" her next thought trailed off into silence however when the hero opened the next door at the end of the hallway, letting light from the outdoors pour in. Cautiously, Zelda peered out along with Link, both of them seeing that they had emerged right outside of the castle's outer gate, before the pathway that led to town.

"Looks like you were right after all," the hero said as the two of them emerged from the passageway.

"Well, according to my research, that stairwell was once used as a servant's exit, so it would only make sense that it would connect to the town," the princess said, taking in a deep breath as she realized that she was outside of the castle walls without any formal guards.

"Are you ok?" Link asked her with concern, noticing that her expression had paled and that her eyes had grown wide as she looked towards the archway that led to the already active town, its sounds and smells already leaking into the road that connected the castle and the square.

Zelda nodded tentatively, though her heart was pounding a mile a minute. She wasn't exactly sure why she was so nervous; perhaps it was that she was stepping outside of her comfort zone for the first time ever, though another part of it definitely lied in a fear of getting caught. She knew that if her and Link were to be found out, then certainly her advisors and attendants would forbid the hero from ever seeing the princess again; in fact, there was a chance that they would consider it to be a kidnapping and possibly even have him arrested for it. But at the same time, Zelda didn't care if what she was doing was improper by royal standards. She knew that she needed to do this, and so, she would do everything in her power to make sure that neither one of them was caught. "Yes," she said with a nod of finality, not even bothering to look back at the castle towering behind her as she pulled her hood over her head. "I am perfectly fine." Pushing her nerves aside for the moment, she smiled brightly at Link and moved on ahead, her anxiety turning into excitement with each passing moment. "Now, come! It is winter, which means that the sun only lasts for so long. We must make haste and take advantage of every second that it is here for!"

The hero couldn't help but smile upon hearing her newfound enthusiasm, already beyond excited for what possibilities this day spent with her could bring. Already, they had come to know each other more than either of them thought they would, and, as they emerged into the bustling town square, the main goal hidden in both of their minds, was to get to know each other even more.

* * *

In honor of the princess's upcoming coronation, Castle Town was a lively and festive place, even despite the cold of winter. The square was lined with various street performers and entertainers, children played laughingly in the streets, the market was stoked with vendors of various delicacies, and banners and flags hung from the rooftops and walls, filling the city with busts of color. The joyful sight took Zelda's breath away the moment her and Link walked out into the busy town square, and the hero was content to go wherever the princess wanted to lead. Of course, before anything else, she wanted to take in the scope of the town as a whole and so the two of them traveled down every path and street they could find, simply taking in the sights and watching what the daily life and activities of the city were like. Zelda had not been expecting to find such charm and appeal in the town that she had so often looked down upon from her castle towers, but seeing it for herself, she found a place that gave her an accurate depiction of what the lives of her citizens were like. Even despite the revelry that the town seemed to be in, it was clear to see upon going into both the upper end of town where the rich and well-off lived, to the lower slums tucked away in the cramped alleys that not everyone was equal in terms of wealth and prosperity, something that did not settle well with the princess. Yet at the same time, she was amazed to see that even the poorest of the townsfolk were taking part in the fun and festivities, something at warmed her heart and made her smile as she realized that there were some things that wealth and a position could no buy.

The princess and the hero spent much of the morning sightseeing, wandering around the town and taking in all that it had to offer. They conversed casually all the while, keeping up their cursory lighthearted teasing way with one another as they chatted and laughed, simply enjoying each other's company. Though neither of them realized it, their respective personalities really did complement each other quite nicely. Zelda was conservative and reserved, yet at the same time insightful and perceptive, attributes to her great wisdom. At the same time, Link was easygoing and laid-back, but at the same time, he was ready to do anything at all without a moment's hesitation or reservation, no doubt a sign of his overall courage. But even so, despite their apparent differences, it was clear to see that the two of them got along swimmingly, especially as their time on the town wore on into hours, and somehow, even though neither of them had intended it, those hours wore on into days.

Since their first day in Castle Town together had composed of little else than exploring and wandering around, Zelda had, even against her better judgment, been the one to insist to Link that they go out again the next day. The wonders of the city had gleaned her fascination and excitement so much, that at the end of the first day, she did not even remember that her coronation was less than a week away, and so much work had to be done for it. In fact, when her and the hero had parted ways for the night when they returned to the castle, the princess barely even heard any of her attendants scolding for missing her royal appointments and responsibilities of the day. All Zelda could think about was how much she had enjoyed her time with Link, and little did she know that the hero, upon sneaking back to the guest chamber he was staying in, had his mind on the exact same thing. He had been to Hyrule Castle Town on a number of occasions during his journey, but he had never truly enjoyed it as he had venturing throughout it with the princess. Every moment he spent with filled him with a feeling he couldn't quite describe, and of course, their time with one another was never really long enough for either of them. And it was because of that strange, newfound desire to be near each other, that both the princess and the hero found themselves counting down the hours until the next day dawned and they could be together again.

* * *

Taking the same stairwell as they had the previous morning, Link and Zelda were easily able to slip out of the castle and into town once more, its festive mood still apparent and growing with each day leading up to the princess's coronation. Though they didn't really have any formal plans for the morning, Zelda could tell from the hint of excitement in Link's smile as he led her towards the east road that he had some activity in mind for them.

"Link, where ever are we going?" the princess asked with a laugh as she noticed his pace quicken a bit, forcing her to jog in order to keep up with his stride.

"Somewhere I think you'll like," the hero said with a grin as the two of them rounded the corner to reveal the last thing Zelda could have ever been expecting. They were inside of a small yard that laid before a decrepit-looking stone house, but what caught the princess's attention above all else was the fact that it was filled with at least fifteen or so cats, all of different colors and ages, ranging from kittens to much older.

The princess took in an involuntary gasp as her smile grew wide with adoration for the fluffy creatures, immediately stooping down to pet a grey one that had approached her and brushed up against her. "Oh, they are simply adorable!" she gushed with delight as more of the felines came up to her as Link knelt down beside her and joined her in playing with them.

"I figured you were a cat person," he said with a smile as he took a particularly friendly orange cat into his arms and held it gently.

"And what led you to that conclusion?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow at him slyly.

"Because you get along with me," Link said as he placed the cat he was holding into Zelda's empty hands, allowing her to enjoy its sweet manner while he played with two or three nearby kittens. "And I'm a cat person too."

"You, a cat person?" the princess said with a disbelieving laugh as she glanced over at him and noticed the somewhat childlike expression on his face as he watched the little felines run about playfully. "I never would have guessed."

"And why not?" the hero asked, feigning being offended.

"Well, if I remember correctly, the first time we ever met you were in a canine form…" Zelda said jokingly, referring to how the hero had been a wolf during their first encounter.

"So?" Link asked pointedly. "That has nothing to do with it. I liked cats way before I ever turned into a wolf."

"I am certain that you did," the princess said teasingly. "And so perhaps it was by fate's design you were transformed into the wrong animal. Maybe you should have become a cat instead!"

Upon saying this, Zelda couldn't help but bust into gales of laughter at her own joke, and as much as Link tried to deny her the pleasure of amusing him with something as ridiculous as this, he couldn't help but join in a few seconds later. Something about her laugh, so vibrant yet elegant at the same time, was so infectious that he couldn't resist it. And their equal amusement only grew upon watching the cat that the princess was holding leap out of her arms to join its kin in a play scuffle, something that both of the cat lovers could not help but watching with interest and adoration for their charming ways.

* * *

"And though they had no wealth or home to call their own, the couple set sail together nonetheless, hoping that, as long as they had each other, they would one day find their destinies upon the deep ocean blue… The end…" Zelda fluidly brought the book she had been reading to Link to a close, shutting the tome and placing it beside her on the floor. For the past several hours, the pair had been engrossing themselves in the many storybooks that the town library had to offer, sitting comfortably upon the floor together while the princess read countless tales of a variety of different genres to the hero, from epics, to tragedies, to poetry, and everything in between. Of course, Zelda had always loved to read for pleasure, and Link never tired of listening to her read, especially since she gave so much inflection and emotion to the tales, making them all the more engaging.

"One more… please?" the hero asked with a contented sigh as he leaned up against the nearby wall in relaxation.

"Link, I have already read half of the books in the library," the princess exaggerated with a light laugh. "Why don't read one to me for a change?"

"I could…" Link said with a sheepish grin, admittedly just wanting her to keep reading to him so he could simply listen to her lovely voice longer. "But I know you'd do a better job of it than me. You make everything seem so real, like the story is coming alive. So… please? Just one more?"

"Well, I suppose I cannot argue with such an earnest plea," Zelda said with a compliant grin as she looked to the stack of books that she had beside her, picking out a rather old looking one and flipping it open to a suitable tale. "Ah, here we go… This one looks interesting." After clearing her throat, the princess began to spin the tale that the book told, her tone rising and falling perfectly in sync with the story as the hero closed his eyes to picture it all in his mind.

"Long ago, there was a beautiful goddess who presided over a faraway land," Zelda began, her voice bold, yet captivating. "She was much beloved by her people, and under her care, the land prospered.

"That is, until the day a great demon rose up, seeking to claim the goddess's land as its own," the princess's tone turned ominous upon reading this, enticed in the story just as much as Link was. "Through its wicked ways, it perverted the minds of the people, forcing them to follow after it and turn against their benevolent goddess.

"The goddess, mournful for her lost people, poured her wrath upon the souls who refused to see the light, so that her land might see peace again. The survivors came together to build a small city in the center of the land, but even then, all was not well…

"The demon still thrived, and as it brought great destruction and chaos upon the land, the goddess knew that she could not stop it alone. 'I will raise up a champion,' the goddess said as she planned out her battle strategy. 'And united, we shall bring the demon down from power once and for all.'

"The goddess chose her champion from among the good people of the town; he was a young man, strong and brave, and endlessly loyal to the goddess. She came to him personally, asking him to take on this great mission even though there was little she could give him in return. But the young man simply smiled with confidence upon hearing her plight and vowed that he would do everything in his power to drive the great demon away, protecting both the land and its goddess.

"Before the deciding battle, the goddess and the man spent many weeks together, and as strange as it may have seemed, it became obvious to both of them that they were falling in love with one another. And yet, as much as she adored the man, the goddess's heart was torn, for she knew that the Ones on high would not approve of her devoting her affections to a mere child of mortal man. But all the same, the goddess's heart outweighed her mind on the matter, and, on the night before the battle-"

Zelda trailed off, her cheeks blushing upon reading the next few lines silently and seeing what they entailed. Link opened his eyes and gave her a curious look, wondering why she had stopped so abruptly. "What?" he asked with immense interest. "What happened next?"

The princess glanced at him for a brief moment, before taking in a deep breath and continuing, even though her face was still bright red in embarrassment. "On the night before the battle," she continued tentatively. "The goddess and the man met one last time, and under the great silver moon, they embraced and kissed, their hearts intertwining with love for one another. That night, in the company of only one another… they laid together… and made love to one another as the stars twinkled peacefully in the heavens above all the while…

"And yet, as the dawn broke the next morning, that cherished peace died. The demon emerged, but the goddess and the man were ready for it. The battle between them was long and fierce, and though the demon's power was immense, in the end, the couple triumphed over its evil might and restored peace and harmony to the land. The end…" Zelda frowned for a moment as she finished the story, turning the page to see that another, completely unrelated story began instead of this one being continued. "Hm… That's odd…"

"What is?" the hero asked, leaning forward from the wall.

"It ends rather abruptly…" the princess mused in confusion. "In fact, it does not say anything about what became of the goddess or her lover…"

"I guess they just lived 'happily ever after', like all the rest of the stories you've read," Link suggested with a grin, and Zelda couldn't help but roll her eyes good-naturedly at him. "But even if it is short, I have to say that I think that one was my favorite."

The princess smiled softly as she reflected back on the romantic tale, finding a certain charm and novelty to it and the fantasy it portrayed. "I agree…" she said with a hint of wistfulness in her tone as she picked up another book and prepared to start another tale. "It is my favorite as well…"

* * *

The pleasant scents wafting from the southern marketplace attracted both Link and Zelda as lunchtime rolled around, both of them quite hungry after a morning filled with various escapades. And, much to their fortune, the market was filled with various treats to be had, from warm bowls of rich soup, to freshly baked bread, to finely decorated cakes and more. Their empty stomachs nearly grumbled in unison at the sight of such delicacies, but in the end, the pair agreed on stopping at a humble-looking pastry stand which sold a variety of sweet snacks such as tarts and turnovers.

Though the line for the stand was quite long, as was the case for most of the stalls in the marketplace, Link and Zelda stood in it nonetheless, their hunger overtaking any and all impatience they may have had otherwise. However, as they were standing in line, the hero happened to glance over across the way, where two young girls, most likely not any older than ten, stood selling flowers from a small basket to those who passed by, but it was clear from the younger girl's forlorn expression and their still-full basket that business was far from booming for them, especially since the professional florist's stall was only a few yards away. Upon seeing this, Link couldn't help but frown, feeling sorry for the girls and their lack of success, until an idea came to him, one that he knew would work as he glanced in front of him at the princess, who was already in the process of purchasing tarts for both of them. As her back was turned to him, he silently slipped away from her, though he made sure not to lose her in the crowd passing up and down the street as he approached the two girls with haste.

The older girl sighed in frustration as she failed to appeal to another passerby, placing the flower she held in her hand back into her basket with disappointment as she glanced over at her younger sister, who stood right at her side at all times. However, the older girl brightened significantly when she noticed the hero coming their way, a soft smile of his face as he took a glance back behind him to make sure the princess was still alright.

"Good afternoon, sir," the girl said politely as Link knelt down to her eye level and gave her a kind smile. "Would you like to buy a flower from me and my sister? They're beautiful winter lilies, and we picked them right outside the city gates just this morning!"

"Well then, I think I'll take one," the hero said, emitting gales of excited giggles from both girls as they watched him reach for his wallet and take out a purple rupee.

"Oh, no sir," the older girl said, her bright smile fading when she saw the large amount of money he was prepared to give them. "They're only one rupee apiece."

"That's ok," Link said with a grin as he placed the purple rupee in the girl's hand and took one of the best-looking flowers she had in the basket. "You can keep the change."

Meanwhile, Zelda had just finished procuring a snack for the two of them to eat, but as she turned around to give Link the tart she had bought for him, she found that he was nowhere to be seen. A burst of panic filled her as she wondered why in the world he had left her alone in the middle of such a busy section of town, especially since she didn't know her way around that well. But, her fears were quickly set to ease a moment later when someone tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around to see the hero giving her a knowing grin.

"I thought I had lost you in the crowd!" the princess exclaimed, giving him an insincere glare. "Please, do not give me such a fright again…"

"Oh, come on," Link said with a small, playful laugh, holding the lily he had bought for her behind his back all the while. "Don't be mad. After all, I was only gone for a second and I got you this." His smile widened as he held the violet flower out to Zelda, who gasped with delight and surprise when she saw it.

"Oh, Link…" she said softly, gently taking the lily and taking in its sweet scent. "It is beautiful… How did you know that winter lilies are my favorite?"

The hero simply shrugged casually, even though he couldn't take his eyes off of her beautiful, contented smile for a single moment as it somehow made his heart race. "Lucky guess," he said nonchalantly as he watched her place the flower in her hair, making her look even more radiant.

"Thank you…" Zelda said with a soft smile, part of her tempted to embrace him before she stopped herself out of nervousness. Link merely nodded in response as the two of them continued to linger there for a moment, simply gazing at one another with smiles that could not convey the rush of emotions that both of them were being filled with, before the bustling crowds broke up their focus and forced them to move onto whatever the next attraction that the day had in store for them was.

* * *

Of all of the places that Link had taken Zelda to throughout Castle Town, she nearly stopped in her tracks when he told her of their next destination. "A bar?" she asked with confusion as the hero led the way past the market to a small establishment tucked away within an alley. "As in a tavern?"

"Well… yeah, I guess," Link said with a shrug, unsure of where her shock was coming from. "What's the matter?"

"Link…" the princess said with a frown as she raised an eyebrow at him. "I have never tasted a sip of any sort of alcoholic beverage before, and quite frankly, I am very surprised that you have."

"What are you talking about?" the hero asked, now equally as confused as she was. "Zelda, I've never gotten drunk before, if that's what you're thinking."

"Then why in Din's name are you taking us to a tavern?" Zelda asked, crossing her arms caustically.

"Because there's some people here that I think you'll really want to meet," Link said with a grin as he opened the door to the bar, which, of course, was relatively empty since it was around midday. Zelda studied the humble locale with interest, still wondering why the hero had decided to bring them to a place like this when there was still so much more of Castle Town left to see. Briefly, the princess noticed the empty chairs and tables, as well as the group that seemed to be gathered in the back room of the tavern, sitting around a table and conversing in low tones. And finally, Zelda took notice of the somewhat robust bartender, who stood behind the counter polishing glasses before noticing the pair as they entered in, and giving Link a large, friendly grin.

"Link!" the woman called out cheerfully, rushing out from behind the counter as her fluffy grey cat followed close behind. "Long time no see, honey! Why, it's been ages since you've been around these parts! How have you been? What brings you to town, other than the princess's coronation of course? Oh, and who's your friend there?"

The hero smiled good-naturedly, though he was admittedly overwhelmed by all of the questions she had just bombarded him with at once. "It's good to see you too, Telma," he greeted warmly. "I've been fine, and yes I am here for the coronation and… well…" he glanced behind him at the princess, as if seeking her permission to unveil her identity. Zelda simply smiled and nodded, knowing that there were so few souls here that there would be little chance that any of them would report her to the royal guards stationed around town. "You can keep a secret, right?" Link asked the barmaid, while Zelda prepared to lift her hood.

"Well, of course, dear!" Telma exclaimed cheerfully, prompting the princess to finally remove her hood, allowing her face to be clearly seen.

"Oh my!" Telma gasped in excitement, instantly recognizing the young royal, as most people of Castle Town could. "Princess Zelda! Is that really you?!"

"Yes, it is," Zelda said with a warm smile, extending a hand for the barmaid to shake in order to show her that she did not need to bow. "And we are well met, Telma. I have heard much of the group that you foster, and word of the work that they have done to help Link save Hyrule have gone far and wide. Now, if they are not too busy, I would wish to thank them all personally…" She turned her attention to the back room, where the small group meeting there had by now all turned their attention towards the princess with awe, all of them knowing her and wondering why in the world she bothered to stoop so low as to see them personally.

"Well then, feel free to go say hello!" Telma encouraged, leading the way to the back room. "I'm sure they'd be honored to meet you!"

"Honored indeed!" the oldest of the trio, a man by the name of Auru, said, rising from his chair to bow low before Zelda. "Princess, we are humbled to be in your illustrious presence. You may not remember me, but I am Auru, and I was knighted by your father when you were still just a little thing."

"Ah yes," Zelda said with a cordial nod. "Sir Auru. I have heard of you and I am very pleased to meet you myself."

Upon being acquainted with Auru, the princess turned expectantly to the other two members of the group, a spectacle-wearing young man and a gruff looking you woman. The man stared at Zelda with awe and amazement, admittedly taken back by her regal manner and beauty as he spoke up in a trembling voice. "P-princess!" he exclaimed somewhat nervously as he rose out of his seat to bow before her as well. "It… It is the highest honor to meet y-you, milady! My name is Shade-oh, dear me! No, I mean, S-Shod! Er- I mean to say-"

"He's Shad," the young woman said, rolling her eyes at him as she remained seated, though she gave Zelda an appropriate nod of respect. "And don't worry; he doesn't always babble like an idiot."

Shad's face lit up bright red in embarrassment as he regained his composure, giving the woman an aggravated glare. She merely laughed, clearly amused with picking fun at him as she leaned back casually in her chair and introduced herself to the princess. "I'm Ashei, yeah?" she said with a small, sly grin. "Honor to meet you, 'highness. And good to see you again too, Link," she said to the hero, giving him a clever wink while he returned it with a nod of greeting.

"Now, of course, we're missing Rusl," Telma said, referring to the fourth member of the group. "But he's back in Ordon taking care of that darling baby girl of his, ain't he, Link?"

The hero smiled and nodded, not needing to tell Zelda about who the man who practically raised him was since he had already filled her in on most of the residents of his hometown. "Yeah, but he said something about coming to town here in a few days before the coronation to visit you guys."

"That is very fortunate then," Zelda interjected with a grin. "Because, as thanks for the work that your group has done to help restore this land during its darkest times, I would like to personally invite all of you to attend my coronation."

The entirety of the group brightened up upon hearing this, knowing that only the very elite were invited to attend such a grandiose occasion is this. It was truly an honor for the princess of Hyrule herself to extend such an invitation, and none of them wanted to dishonor or offend her by declining it. Upon seeing their silent acceptances, the princess's smile grew, and the gateway to further conversation with the group opened up. For quite some time, they sat and talked about how the small band had aided Link on his quest, protecting Hyrule's infrastructure and ensuring its eventual freedom from the grip of darkness. The hero and the princess spent quite some time there, enjoying the easygoing, interesting company of the group and listening to the stories that they had to tell while doling out some of their own. However, as much as they were enjoying the visit, as patrons began to appear in the bar, it was starting to become apparent to Link and Zelda that it was getting late, and since neither of them was too keen on being in a bar while the drunkards were about, they both decided to take their leave. And so, after giving the group a fond farewell, the pair left the tavern to head back, but as they went back out into the alley, the hero held the door open for the princess and smiled softly at her as she went through it, something that did not go unnoticed by Telma and Auru as they shut the door behind them.

"I'd say that boy has got it pretty bad for the princess…" the elderly man mused with a grin, one that the barmaid nodded in agreement with.

"Yes, but you could tell from the way they looked at each other that it was mutual," Telma said, crossing her arms and smiling knowingly.

"What are you two going on about?" Ashei asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why, I do believe that they are trying to insinuate that Link and Princess Zelda have feelings for one another," Shad explained, though he was just as bewildered by this belief as the female warrior was. "But I must respectfully disagree with you both. After all, they said that they had only really engaged in actual conversation for the first time but a few days ago."

"People don't fall in love that fast, yeah?" Ashei said with a doubtful frown. "And besides, while I wouldn't put it past Link, the princess seems to be a lot more… conservative… Plus, she's about to crowned queen in less than three days… Don't you think she should have other things on her mind right now?"

"Well, it certainly seemed as though they enjoy each other's company…" Auru said, giving a sly grin to the two younger members of the group, who just couldn't see what him and the barmaid had. "Even if it's not romance yet, there's certainly an unspoken attraction there…"

"I think it was more than just an attraction," Telma said with a satisfied smile, thinking back on the level of comfortableness and interest that the hero and the princess clearly showed for one another. "But whatever it was, it was clear enough to see that it might as well have just been in plain sight."

* * *

Bursts of glowing color exploded throughout the overcast night skies surrounding Hyrule Castle, its tall spies glowing with white light as they did every night as they towered over the celebrating town. As was customary, the week leading up to the royal coronation was filled with great feasting and celebrating, but the occasion was made even more cheery for the simple fact that the kingdom had almost not made it to such a point thanks to the Twilight Invasion months prior. But now, Hyrule was at peace once more, and things were certainly looking prosperous for the land, giving its people all the more reason to celebrate. The square was lined with colored lanterns as couples danced to the music of preforming minstrels and many more simply stood with their sights set upon the sky, where a fireworks show was booming with untold magnificence.

Among these spectators was the princess and the hero, both of whom stood together on the otherwise empty viewing platform that overlooked the square, giving them arguably the best view of the castle and the fireworks in the entire town. They had been standing in silence for quite some time, merely taking in the blissful sight below and above them, until Zelda finally broke the silence.

"Link… I… I wanted to thank you for this… For all of it," she said softly, her voice gentle and thoughtful.

"It was nothing, Zelda," Link said, glancing at her with a small grin, not understanding that she was referring to more than just taking her out on the town.

"No," the princess said with a bittersweet smile, shaking her head as she kept her sights set on the townsfolk below. "I wish to thank you once more for all that you have done for my land and my people… The first time I extended my gratitude to you, I did not understand just how important your work was, but now, after having been among the people myself, I do understand just how significant your victory was… Had it not been for you, then none of them would be here celebrating as they are now. You restored freedom to a frightened nation, and that is not nothing… I hope you know that…"

"Yes, I know that…" the hero said with a sigh, his smile fading as he looked up into the fireworks-filled sky. "But… it's just… sometimes it feels like I didn't do enough, you know? Sometimes I'll think about everything that happened and wished that I could have saved more people, that I could have stopped it from happening altogether…"

"Link, I highly doubt that anyone could have prevented what transpired, not even I," Zelda said with understanding in her tone. "What matters is that it is over now, and that Hyrule is better off for all of the struggles that you put into saving it. As I said before, we are indebted to you, and even if you do not feel yourself worth of the honor, I intend to make it known to my people just who their hero was…"

"I don't know why you're so insistent on making this so public," Link said, giving her a slight smile. "I think you've already given me enough of a reward by spending these past few days with me."

The princess could not hide her bashful smile upon hearing this. "Well, I must admit that I have been having a marvelous time with you as well…" she said quietly, noticing how the colored lights of the fireworks reflected upon his handsome face. "You have shown me what fun and enjoyment truly are… and for the first time in my life… I truly feel… free…"

"I'm glad that you do," the hero said, shifting the slightest bit closer to her as they stood side by side. "You don't deserve to be cooped up in that lonely castle all the time; you should be able to go wherever you want to. After all, this entire kingdom is yours; don't you want to see it all?"

"Yes… I do…" Zelda said wistfully, gazing upon the castle she called home, a place that had been nothing but a gilded cage for her throughout her life. "But I can't… By this time tomorrow night, I will have been crowned queen, and while I regret to tell you this, Link, I am almost positive that this will be the last opportunity we will have to venture outside the castle walls together… I am sorry…"

Link said nothing for a moment as he glanced down dejectedly, wishing that the inevitable forces of class and responsibility would not have to tear them apart like this, especially since they had only just gotten to know each other a few days ago. Since then, they had bonded so much in the few short days they had been in each other's company for, and the hero desperately wanted for things to remain that they were, with the two of them continuing to grow closer together instead of further apart. At that moment, Link realized that once Zelda became queen, the chances of him ever really getting to see her on a personal level like this again were very slim. More than likely, after tomorrow, he would be expected to return to Ordon, back to a life where no one understood what he had been through, where there was no one he felt like he could really talk to. And yet, Zelda understood; she listened and sympathized with him, but she did not look down upon him. Despite her regal, formal manner, she had lowered herself to his level and had engaged in every activity he had suggested. Something about her, whether it was her innate kindness, her soft-spoken ways or her good humor, drew him in and made him want to be near her in a way that he had never wanted to be near someone before. For the past several months, the hero had been struggling; struggling to reclaim balance in his life, struggling to find inner peace, struggling to move past what had scarred him indefinitely. But when he was with the princess, it was as though all of those struggles were instantly forgotten. She gave him comfort and hope, she reminded him that he was a hero, and that he was someone worthy of honor and remembrance instead of obscurity and distance. Ever since Midna had left, there had been a void in his life, one that he never thought could be filled; and yet, as Link stood side by side with Zelda, and as the bright glow of the fireworks illuminated her lovely face, he realized that void had finally been filled.

Zelda sighed when the hero gave her no response, wishing that things did not have to be like this. How she longed to spend more days with him, soaking in all of the wonders that her kingdom had to offer her and staying by his side as she grew closer to him with each passing moment. But, much to her dismay, it was not to be. As a queen, her sole duty would be to her people, and as such, she could not distract herself with flights of pleasure, as much as they fulfilled her and renewed her spirit. After tomorrow, her time would be consumed with running her country, and because of that, she wasn't even sure if she would have any time to spend with Link like she did now at all. She didn't have the heart to tell him that, but she could tell from the hint of hurt in his expression that this was something that he understood. But at the same time, she desperately wished that fate had not given her such a heavy responsibility. Zelda would have been perfectly content remaining in the hero's company for as long as possible. Never before in her life had she felt such freedom and joy until he came into her life. Her heart soared when she was with him, and for the first time in forever, she truly felt alive. In these past few days alone, he had shown her that there was so much more to life then the limits that her royal position had defined for her, limits that she had always known. But all of that would be over in a few hours. The moment the royal crown was placed upon her head would be the moment any shred of freedom she once had would end, as would any time she had to spend with him. Zelda's heart sank when she thought about this, but her remorseful thoughts were suddenly shattered when she felt Link gently place his hand over hers, his touch strong, secure and warm against her uncertain, almost trembling hand.

When she glanced over at him, she instantly melted under the reassuring, yet bittersweet smile he was giving her, his piercing blue eyes seeming to stare almost through her soul in a way that made her heart race and her face grow warm. At the same time, the princess's light blue eyes were having a very similar effect on the hero, but he was able to keep his nerves concealed well despite the fact that her beauty almost seemed to beckon to him almost naturally. "Well, we're here now…" the hero said softly with the smallest hint of grief in his tone as he unforcedly pulled her closer to him until she was basically leaning up against him, something that she did willingly. "And that's good enough for me…"

The princess said nothing more as she closed her eyes and let out a blissful sigh, wishing that this moment of contentment and beauty could last forever, the very same wishes the hero was desperately making. And in the end all they could do was wish, but only wish, and little else.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! Just a bunch of fluffly little cutesy scenes. As if you couldn't already tell, fluff isn't my strong suit, so sorry if this was kinda lame. I know we've been slogging through some pretty pointless chapters here for a while, but I can promise that this is the last easy going one! Next chapter, we're gonna have some heavy foreshadowing, and then after that, some buildup for the emergence of the plot! Yay! And so, next up from me is another chapter of Hyrule Warriors! Hooray! (i'm sure it will be much easier to write than this was too!) But, until then, REVIEW please! Until next time! :D**


	7. Chasing Away the Nightmares

_Ok guys, so before I say anything else... MAJORA'S MASK 3D IS COMING THIS SPRING! XD Just thought I'd let ya'll know that if you didn't already! But seriously I just watched the Nintendo Direct moments ago and I am so totally hyped! Can't wait to see the FD in 3D! hah! But anyway, here we go with a chapter that was kinda fun to write, since its mostly angst and romance, two things I really like to do (plus a lot of important foreshadowing)! Alrighty, so thanks to andrewrodgriguez6433, alexhacker39, and Sopheria for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

_**explodingbunnies52**: You're welcome! :D_

_**Jarvis R. Yeriel**: I'd actually like to think that not all cat people are introverts. I mean, I'm a cat person and an introvert, but I know many people who love cats and are super outgoing and friendly (like Link). And sure, you can use that quite! It just sorta came to me really late at night (which is when I always do my best writing!) And yeah, Zelda is shirking her responsibilities, something that will come back to bite her in a few chapters!_

_**TheJediAvenger**: HAHAHAHAHAH XD I freaking LOVE it when you do that! But seriously, if I was more aimed for comedy that is how that scene totes would have gone!_

_**Zelda the Wise**: I agree that fluff is usually pointless, but I saw that last chapter as more of a relationship builder, so I'm glad you liked it!_

_**RandomButLoved**: Hahaha, I actually listened/watched the Kingdom Dance several times while writing that chapter, so I'm glad it showed! As for the coronation, its going to be in chapter 8, so only two away! :D And oh yes, I simply cannot wait for the first encounter between Link and Verona as well... (insert evil author laugh here)_

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: Glad that the pacing was nice. That's the sorta thing I was aiming for (as well as the obvious attraction!)_

_**Nintendoman01**: Hahaha, I know! Thanks!_

_Ok! So, with all that outta the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 6: Chasing Away the Nightmares_

"_I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."  
-Hazel, The Fault in Our Stars_

Fire was everywhere. The oppressive heat of the raging flames was quickly spreading throughout every road and alleyway of Castle Town, the distant, terrorized screams of the frightened townsfolk echoing along with the dark roar of the fire itself. In the midst of all this chaos, Link found himself standing near the southern gate of town, watching the devastating scene with horror and rage as he wondered who could have set the town that him and Zelda had just spent the last several days exploring ablaze.

Unlike the last time he was haunted by this ominous nightmare, the hero found that this time, he was fully capable of moving, something that he certainly did as he slowly and cautiously headed towards the main square, looking for any signs of the arsonist who might have started this. It was clear that the flames were unquenchable and out of control by now, but once more, they never once touched Link, and he barely felt their otherwise unbearable burning heat at all. However, as he made it into the abandoned central square, he found no signs of life at all, save for something that instantly made his blood boil in anger: a lone figure, concealed in shadows, stood several feet away from him, their back turned as a dark black cape hung from their shoulders. However, what struck the hero instantly was the burst of orange flame positioned over their palm, clearly proving that they were the instigator of all of this senseless destruction.

"Hey!" Link shouted to this unknown person, instinctually reaching behind him for his sword to find none there, much to his dismay. The figure, still unidentifiable thanks to the darkness cloaking them, briefly glanced over their shoulder at him, before letting their ball of fire loose upon the nearby archway that led to the castle, and quickly taking off towards the eastern portion of town.

The hero clenched his fists in anger as he dashed off after the figure, not letting them get away with such wide scale chaos. Running as fast as he could, Link tailed the mysterious culprit, even though the still raging flames that had completely engulfed some of the more narrow alleys. His heart was pounding with adrenaline and fury as the chase went on through just about every street in town, until somehow they ended up crossing through the square once more and arriving near the gate that led to the castle, where the figure finally came to a halt.

Breathless from running all over town, Link also stopped several feet behind the figure as they stood still and ominously before him, the aura of familiarity about them finally striking him, though he wasn't sure exactly how yet. However, before he could finally discern their identity once and for all, a distraught, pained voice called out to him from behind, immediately catching his attention as he spun around to face Zelda herself standing only a few feet away from him, her hands over her heart, her regal clothes burnt and soiled, and her light azure eyes grieved and frightened as she looked upon him with the slightest hint of distrust.

"Link…" she said weakly, her voice as soft as a whisper. "How… how could you do this? How could you cause so much pain and devastation?"

"What are you talking about?" the hero asked in sudden alarm and confusion, knowing that he would never do something as abhorrent as this wide scale slaughter of innocents.

Before the princess could answer him, however, Link felt someone suddenly grab his shoulder very roughly and spin him around away from Zelda. Of course, the mysterious figure had been the one to do this, but now that the hero could clearly see them, he gasped in absolute shock and fear upon seeing that their face was his own, with the only difference being that his eyes were an almost shining silver instead of dark blue. Link was stunned frozen in place as he watched with wide eye as his near-mirror image glared darkly at him and somehow lit another burst of flame above his hand, before letting its destructive, burning, painful heat go upon the defenseless hero in full force.

* * *

Link awakened with a panicked start, almost bolting upright out of bed entirely upon breaking out of this disturbing nightmare. His eyes still wide and his breathing short and shallow, he sat up fully and took a cautious glance around, seeing that instead of the burning town, he was safe in the guest room he was staying in at the castle, the pale light from the moon shinning in through the large window and filling the room with a calming presence. Taking in a deep breath, the hero relaxed somewhat as he ran a hand through his blonde hair, knowing that even though dreams like this had been common for him the past several nights, this most recent one had been the most intense and frightening by far. He didn't quite understand the implications of it, or exactly what it was supposed to mean. The almost menacing version of himself that he had seen in his nightmare certainly unnerved him, as did Zelda's words to him right before it came to an abrupt end. However, as the hero thought back on it, a sudden idea came to him, one that he hoped could set his scattered, nervous mind to ease. Certainly the princess, with all of her vast wisdom and foresight, would be able to help him understand the meaning of such a strange vision. And, like the last time Link wanted to go see her, he knew, even despite the fact that it was the middle of the night, that he simply could not wait another second.

After hastily putting his undershirt and tunic on, the hero emerged out into the cold winter's night, ignoring the sting of the freezing air. The hint of an oncoming flurry was in the wind, and indeed, clouds were already coming in to cover up the large moon and stars. But even so, Link was unphased by it as he scaled up the balconies and rooftops as he had a few nights ago, fortunately remembering the path he had taken in locating Zelda's room before. As he did so, he couldn't help but think back on his nightmare, still somewhat disturbed by it and everything that it had entailed. Based on his best and only guess, the hero had come to the conclusion that it had served to warn him of a possibly oncoming disaster, such as a fire being set to Castle Town or even something else. But what really bothered Link even more than that was the fact that it seemed to imply that _he _had been the one who had brought something so terrible about, something that the hero couldn't even begin to fathom why or how. Why in the world would he ever do so much damage to one of the many places that he worked so hard to save?

Breathless from what felt like ages of climbing up spires that weren't meant to be climbed, Link decided to take a moment's rest on a small terrace that was somewhat close to Zelda's room. Even though he was already cold from being exposed to the elements as he was, a sudden shiver ran down his spine as he looked out towards the view of the lower levels of the castle from the terrace, a feeling of dread washing over him that he couldn't quite place. That is, until he happened to glance down and spot the shadowy figure standing like a statue on a platform several feet below his position. The hero strained his eyes to make out more about them, memories of his ominous nightmare coming to mind, but the only thing he could really see was their eyes: completely white, devoid of pupils and irises as they seemed to glow in the darkness, staring up at him fiercely. And as much as Link wanted to look away from the disturbing aura they put off, he found that he could not as they captivated him in their haunting stare.

"Having trouble sleeping?" a voice from behind ultimately was what broke the hero out of his unnatural focus. Startled, Link quickly turned around to see Zelda approaching him, wrapped up tightly in a thick night robe as she gave him a look filled with both worry and concern.

"Yeah…" he admitted quietly, taking a cautionary glance back towards where the strange figure had been only to find no one there anymore. 'You too?"

The princess sighed and nodded as she came to stand beside him near the terrace's railing. "I often come out here to clear my head on nights that rest does not come easy to me…" she said thoughtfully, casting a long gaze out upon the sleeping town miles below. "However, I did not expect to find you here as well…"

The hero almost started telling her about his dark dream, but instead, he hesitated, opting to focus on her instead for the moment. "You must have a lot on your mind, huh?" he asked, giving her the smallest hint of a grin. "After all, tomorrow's your big day."

"Yes…" Zelda said with a hint of melancholy in her tone as she leaned up against the railing like he was. "By this time tomorrow night, I will have been crowned queen of Hyrule… It is certainly daunting to think about… And yet that is not really the reason why I have come out here…"

"Then why did you?" Link asked with curiosity as he glanced over at her, noticing the creeping fear in her pensive expression.

The princess was silent for a moment as she kept her sights set on the peaceful town and little else. "I… I had a nightmare…" she said, and her statement amazed the hero considering he had just had one as well. "Though I believe it to be more of a vision instead… In truth, dark dreams of this sort have been plaguing my slumber these past several moons, all of them seeming to bear the same sort of message… I believe them to be an omen, perhaps, of dark times ahead for Hyrule, though I desperately hope that I am incorrect."

"What are they about?" the hero asked anxiously, craving to know if her nightmares were anything like his.

Zelda bit her lip nervously for a moment, thinking back on her frightening visions, before she began to recount the most recent one. "Castle Town had been set ablaze by some unknown force… And while this has happened in most of my recent dreams, instead of on-looking the fire from afar, this time, I was caught within it. I desperately tried to escape before the flames consumed me, but as I reached the gate that led out of town, a lone figure, draped in shadows, blocked my path. The only thing that I could discern about them was the black cloak that they wore, but as I tried to make my way past them, I suddenly caught onto the sound of a woman laughing behind me, before I was struck down from behind and I awakened in a frenzy…"

"That's almost exactly like mine…" Link muttered to himself without thinking, awed by how incredibly similar their dreams somehow were and even more curious and confused as to their meanings.

"What was that?" the princess asked, raising an eyebrow at him as she looked to him once more. "Link, did… did you have a nightmare as well?"

The hero frowned apprehensively, not wanting to tell her that the cloaked figure in both of their dreams somehow appeared to be him lest she grow suspicious and wary of him, and so he simply nodded, not divulging any more information.

"You said my dream was _almost _like yours…?" Zelda pressed, wanting to know as much as she could just in case dark times really were ahead for Hyrule. Certainly, if they were, than these ominous visions were certainly warning signs for both the hero and the princess, instructing them to be prepared for oncoming danger. "How was it different?"

Link hesitated, knowing that he should tell her exactly what had occurred in his nightmare, especially since his seemed to be more detailed than hers, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to. Even though he knew that she would be able to decode the mystery of it for him, he found that the words simply would not come. And so, instead, he lied as unassumingly as he could manage, though he averted her insightful gaze all the while. "It wasn't," he said flatly. "They were exactly the same."

Zelda frowned with dissatisfaction, knowing that was not what he had said a moment ago, but she decided not to press him now, especially upon seeing the tight look of dread on his face as he looked out into the dark skies. "Link…" she said, her voice almost a trembling whisper as she allowed the fear in her heart to start to spill over. "I… I am afraid… I am afraid for what these dreams might possibly mean… What if destruction and ruin really are in the offing for Hyrule? Din only knows that we cannot withstand another attack so soon after the Twilight Invasion…"

The hero looked towards the princess with the upmost concern, knowing her anxiety and fear well. If another assault were to be sprung upon Hyrule, especially in the aftermath of it finding peace once more… the consequences would be unthinkable. As much as Link had been craving something akin to the excitement and action he used to know, he certainly did not wish something as frightening as this upon the land, not now or ever. Which was why, even though had thought that his fight was finally over, he was still just as determined as ever to defend Hyrule, especially now that he had gotten close to its kind, benevolent princess.

"Zelda," he said reassuringly, slowly taking her hand to comfort her, as he could already see the tears of fear about to fall from her lovely sapphire eyes. "I promise you that whatever this threat might be, if it's real, then I will do anything in my power to keep you and your kingdom safe once more. No matter what."

With her eyes still glistening with unfallen tears, Zelda looked up at Link and saw the unwavering courage that he was known for in his almost navy eyes, courage that steadied her and gave her confidence that he would keep this selfless promise. Even though her heart was still fretting for the kingdom she held so dear and the people she loved so much, she felt the least bit comforted in knowing that it was not without a defender, one who had saved it before and who she knew could save it again if the need be. "Thank you…" she whispered softly, holding onto his hand tightly, even though it was cold. However, even despite the solace that he had managed to give her in this dark hour, she found that she did not want to part ways with him to return the empty loneliness of her large bedroom. She felt safe and secure in his presence, and that peace of mind was desperately what she wanted and needed at a time like this. And so, her racing thoughts and ever present dread replacing her knowledge of rules and etiquette, she kept her eyes locked onto his as she presented a request to him in a voice that was so quiet he barely heard it. "Link… Please… stay with me…"

"What?" the hero asked, not fully understanding what she had meant, though he was starting to get an idea.

"Stay with me," she repeated louder, though she was still quiet just in case there happened to be any prying ears in the vicinity. "P-please… I know it is improper… but I… I just… I have been alone for so long… I do not wish to be alone any longer…"

Upon hearing this, Link took Zelda's other hand gently, looking at her with such tenderness in his still somehow fierce blue eyes that she almost melted immediately under it. Her heart was racing nervously, and admittedly, so was his. He knew that what she had just asked of him could prove to be dangerous if they were found out, especially considering the fact that she was about to become the_ queen _of Hyrule and he was little more than a peasant from the forest, but he could tell from the trembling tone of her voice that she needed him. And even despite the social norms that should have kept them apart, he found that under her beautiful, pleading stare, he could do little else but slowly nod in agreement, giving her hands a small squeeze of reassurance. "Then I'll stay with you," he said gently, filling the princess's frightened soul with comfort and peace. "So you won't have to be."

As carefully as possible, Link and Zelda managed to sneak back into the princess's room undetected by any guards or castle personnel. Of course, both of them immediately came to the unspoken agreement that the princess would sleep in her bed while the hero took the floor; after all, there was no need to stir up any more potential controversy than they already were. Their conversation was fairly limited as it was quite late and both of them were relatively tired, but soon enough they found rest. Link was the first one to fall asleep, allowing Zelda to smile contentedly at him as he lay on the rug before the fireplace, somewhat curled up before it like an animal, namely a wolf, would do. Clearly, he still had some wolfish instincts left in him, something that the princess couldn't help but be amused by as she yawned tiredly and gave him one last, thankful glance, before drifting off into slumber herself, at ease in knowing that the hero would be there to guard her while she slept.

* * *

Both the princess and the hero found themselves standing in the middle of the empty Hyrule Field, a strange dark fog obscuring them from each other's view so neither of them could tell the other one was even there. The fog was so thick that neither of them could really even see a few feet in front of them, but they could both clearly sense the aura of lingering darkness hovering all around them both, putting them both on edge as they tried to make their way through it.

Zelda's heart was racing as she looked around the almost black fog, fear filling her once more as she wondered what sort of evil could be lurking within it. An ice cold terror swept through her entire body as she let out an involuntary gasp, the darkness seeming to sense her fear and act upon it in order to unnerve her even more. And, sure enough, no more than a moment later, she heard a soft, malevolent, decidedly feminine voice speaking to her, its tone sinister and intimidating. "_Young Princess of Light…" _the voice said, its unknown ire for her clear. _"Can't you see? Your kingdom is about to fall into shadows once more… Can't you see that you are about to fail your people again? Can't you see that the very one whom you place your trust in to defend your land will be the one who will bring it down in the end?"_

As this voice spoke to the princess, who listened to its ominous words with both worry and confusion, it managed to make its way towards the hero at the same time as he futilely tried to see his way through the fog, knowing that it was laced with some form of hidden danger. However, Link stopped in his tracks when he heard that same cold, dark voice calling to him almost seductively, its tone purring smoothly as it spoke gently to him. _"Hero of Twilight…" _the voice said with a layer of something that was almost kindness in it, though it did not seem entirely sincere. _"Or perhaps you should be called by the title you are truly destined for: Hero of Shadow… Can't you see the greatness that awaits you? Can't you see the power that you are about to be gifted with? Can't you see the destiny of darkness that you were always meant to fulfill?"_

"_Princess of Light…" _the voice said to Zelda once more, its volume rising as the princess's heart pounded and her entire body began to tremble with terror over the implications of the horrible things she had just been told.

"_Hero of Shadow…" _the voice whispered loudly to Link, who refused to accept any of what it had said to him and yet a small part of him was somehow compelled to.

All at once the voice was silent and the fog hovering over the field vanished entirely, unveiling the princess and the hero, though their backs were still turned to one another as they stood several feet away from one another, until the voice spoke once more, this time yelling strongly and firmly, with a wicked laugh laced into its tone. _"Can't you both see?" _it asked twistedly as Link and Zelda both found themselves compelled to turn around to see each other; and though both of their expressions conveyed confusion and dread, the only thing that they could see on each other's faces was hatred and hostility. And as they both stared at one another in shock, the voice made one final statement, one that haunted them both to their very cores. _"See the one who is going to destroy you!"_

* * *

Almost simultaneously, both Link and Zelda's eyes shot open and they both bolted upright, their breathing shallow and their heartbeats quick as they found themselves in the world of the waking once more. Tentatively, they both quickly glanced over at one another, though of course, they were still greatly unnerved by what they had just seen and heard in their apparently shared nightmare.

"Zelda…" the hero said breathlessly, his dark eyes wide and clearly distraught as he stood up from his place on the floor and looked at her closely, just to make sure she was the real thing.

"Link…" the princess said with a sigh of relief as she got out of bed, realizing that she was no longer in that dark vision, though she dreaded what it seemed to imply. And yet, neither of them bothered to think of its meaning at the moment as they slowly approached one another and, in a thoughtless moment that Zelda could have never anticipated, Link suddenly folded her into his strong arms and kept her in a gentle, yet at the same time, almost desperate embrace, one that, even though she had not received physical contact as close as this in quite some time, she hesitantly returned. At the same time, the hero held the princess close, trying to wash away the dark whispers that were still echoing inside of his mind, seeming to, just like his last nightmare, imply that he was going to bring her and her people harm, something that he vowed he would never do. He cared about them both far too much.

Their embrace lasted for quite some time, long enough for the two of them to finally calm themselves down enough to actually speak coherently. Even though neither of them really wanted to, their hug finally broke apart, but they lingered close to one another as they conversed in low, anxious tones. "Did we have the same nightmare this time as well?" Zelda asked, hoping that Link would tell her the truth this time.

"Maybe…" he said with a fretful frown. "Was there fog everywhere?"

The princess nodded. "And a sinister voice?" she asked, and the hero nodded in response as well. "Then they indeed were the same… But… Link… Why were you looking at me with such contempt right before we awakened…?"

"I wasn't," Link said a bit defensively, hoping that she had not heard the same things that the voice had told him. "But why were you staring at me like you hated me?"

"I did no such thing!" Zelda said with a frown, seeing the hurt in his eyes, hurt that reflected in our own. "It must have been an illusion of the nightmare, but I do not understand…" She trailed off for a brief moment, growing frustrated with herself for not knowing what the problem they were facing was, no how to solve it. "I don't understand any of it! All I have been able to glean is that some form of darkness might be setting its sights upon Hyrule, but everything else makes no sense! How are we ever going to deal with a threat that we know absolutely nothing about!?"

"Its ok, Zelda…" the hero said consolingly, taking her hand once more to soothe her, though it didn't really work. "If it really does come, then we'll figure out how to beat it together."

"You do not understand, Link!" the princess exclaimed, completely distraught and deeply upset. "Hyrule cannot afford to face such devastation once more! I am its ruler! I should know how to protect my people from anything that it faces, but… I don't… This is just like the Twilight Invasion… I fear that I might fail my people once again…"

"Zelda, don't say that…" Link said with concern, hating seeing her so stressed and anxious. "You've never failed any of them. All you want to do is keep them safe, and I know that we can protect them this time, before anything bad happens… We can, and we will."

The princess said nothing as her rushing emotions began to spill over, tears of desperation and guilt starting to spill down her cheeks. Even though she knew it was shamefully to openly cry like this, she could not help herself. Her heart was already breaking when she thought of everything that her kingdom had already gone through, and what it might have to go through in the very soon future if this darkness was not nipped in the bud. And so, as a sob finally escaped her, the hero was quick to pull her to himself once more, allowing her to weep softly into his shoulder as he held her in a warm protective embrace, sympathizing with her pressing worries greatly. Like her, the last thing he wanted was for Hyrule to be pulled into another catastrophe; everyone, from the land, to the people, to even the princess and the hero themselves, were still healing from the physical and emotional scars left on them from the Twilight Invasion. Certainly, the kingdom was not ready for more violence and bloodshed to be brought upon it. But at the moment, all Link was really focused on was setting Zelda's frayed, tattered nerves to ease. It was clear that she had been carrying all of her pent up worries, stress and fears around for quite some time now. The pressures of ruling a nation were already piling up upon her, and yet at the same time, she was still so young, not much older than he was. And, as the hero realized this, he also came up with an idea as to how, even in the simplest of ways, he could give her some form of relief from all her woes and an escape from that pressure, even if it could only be a brief one.

"Zelda?" he asked her softly, waiting patiently for her to look up at him. She finally did a moment later, her eyes still wet with tears as she gazed at him expectantly. A small smile crossed his features as he glanced towards the wide windows, through which the clouds of winter loomed in the dark, yet somehow comforting nighttime sky, solidifying his idea even further. "I know exactly what you need."

* * *

Though it had taken some convincing on Link's part to get Zelda to leave the castle at such a late hour of the night, especially after the horrors that they had both endured in their dreams so far, she eventually followed him through the passageway and out into the empty streets of town. However, the quiet city itself was not their destination; instead, they quickly hurried through the darkened streets of the town together until they finally made it to the horse stables near the main gate. And, taking care to be as quiet as possible, they both mounted Epona and rode out of town unnoticed, out into the open freedom of Hyrule Field.

As they rode along, the long awaited first snowfall of the year suddenly began, the snowflakes falling gently and easily from the dark heavens above. Zelda found herself captivated by the silent beauty of it, her mind starting to be set to ease as she removed the hood of her cloak and allowed the white flecks to sprinkle upon her brunette hair. Link smiled back at her as they rode, not really guiding Epona to any particular destination as they made their way into the wide fields near Eldin. The hero could tell that already the princess's spirits were lifting the further they got from Hyrule Castle Town and out into the natural splendor of the land instead. She needed room to breathe, a chance to forget about her troubles for a while and simply partake in something as simple yet wondrous as this light snow flurry.

They rode around the fields for what seemed like hours, not going at a particularly fast pace as they took in the beauty of Hyrule itself as a light dusting of snow began to cover it and stick to the ground. Neither of them really said much of anything, for no words needed to be said. Simply being in each other's presence was a comfort to both of them, even despite the dark dreams they had been suffering from. Something about the two of them being together just felt so right to them both that they found themselves wondering how they had ever made do without each other. It was as though they were meant to be near each other, as though they had always been at each other's sides. Even though they had only been in each other's company for just a few short days, they had grown together so much to the point that it felt like they had been the closest of friends for years. And yet, as the hero brought his steed to a stop in the middle of the field so him and the princess could dismount and stand amid the falling snow, they both were starting to wonder if perhaps they viewed each other as something more.

For the longest time, they were both silent as they contentedly stood side-by-side and watched the snow fall, until they both simultaneously reached over and took the other's hand. With soft smiles on their faces, the princess and the hero turned to face one another, their hands clasped close to their chests to keep them both warm as they simply stared at each other for a while, words hardly able to convey what both of them were thinking. Both Link and Zelda were so grateful to each other, for if they had never come into each other's lives, then certainly they would have never known a moment as blissful and beautiful as this.

"Link…?" Zelda asked a bit hesitantly, her voice soft and subdued.

"Yes?" the hero said calmly, still smiling at her warmly.

"I… I know that it is not fair to ask this of you…" she began, even though the idea had just come to her. "And I know that you have friends and loved ones back in Ordon Village, that you already have a life there, but… I must ask… I want you to stay at the castle with me… permanently…"

"Zelda…" Link said quietly, completely awed by this request, though he could hear the yearning and need for companionship in her tone.

"I do not expect you to say yes," Zelda went on, already regretting how she had made it sound like she wanted to restrict him, when that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I know that you're not accustomed to such a life and that it's most likely the last thing you'd ever want to do but… even though we've only been together for a few days… I… I cannot imagine going back to a life where I do not have you beside me… You are the only person I have ever met who does not place me on some sort of pedestal because I am royal or expects anything from me at all. You value me because of who I am, not what I am… Your presence comforts and reassures me; you make me feel secured and content… I have never felt this way before… but I know that I desperately do not want this feeling I have right now to ever end…"

The princess trailed off into an almost inaudible whisper, her voice trembling with both fear and hope. She knew that she had said far too much than she had intended to, but he did deserve to know how she honestly felt. Her words were nothing less than true, and they came from the very depths of her heart. She could not explain why, but she needed him; she always had. She just hadn't known it until now.

Unbeknownst her Zelda, Link found that he felt very much the same as she did. The very thought of having to return to Ordon, a place where she would not be and never would, filled him with despair. Somehow, she was able to raise his spirits and give him something to deeply care for and strive to protect once more, something he had not felt since Midna departed. He would go anywhere and do anything for her, no matter what she asked. It was as though she had filled his life with a light that could not be extinguished, one that he always wanted to have to guide him and give him hope and joy. And so, the hero pulled the princess slightly closer to him, their hands still intertwined as they looked deeply into each other's eyes and found nothing less than pure affection in them. "Yes," Link finally said, making Zelda's heart soar with joy and comfort. "Yes, I will stay with you, Zelda. Always…"

Neither of them said anything else as they smiled wonderingly at one another, a bust of untold, unspoken emotion filling them both at they felt their faces begin to unceremoniously begin to draw closer. They did not think of what they were doing or where they were at all. All they could focus on was the much-needed warmth that was filling them both, giving them both an ecstasy and bliss that neither of them had ever known before. And yet, right as their lips were about to touch and their faces were only mere inches apart, they both hesitated, though they really didn't know why. And perhaps the princess and the hero might have even kissed, if not for the sudden sound of a low, pained groan sounding from somewhere nearby.

Both of them barely heard it, but it was just loud enough that they managed to catch onto it nonetheless. They both hesitantly retracted away from one another, although they didn't really want to, as they looked towards the south, where the small noise had come from.

"What was that?" Zelda asked tensely, still on edge from her nightmares, though she felt safer knowing Link was with her.

"I don't know…" the hero said as he looked out across the field, managing to spot the outline of an obscured shape lying in the snow several yards away. Their embrace broke as Link stepped forward warily, wishing that he had not left his sword behind at the castle, but making sure that Zelda followed closely behind him nonetheless. Slowly, they both inched their way across the field, seeing that the mysterious shape appeared to be human-like, possibly someone lying on the ground, though neither of them knew why anyone would be in such a place in the middle of a cold winter night like this.

As the princess and the hero approached, they were able to make out the dark hooded cloak that the figure was wearing as they lay in the snow, a light dusting of white covering them as their back was turned to the two of them. But what unnerved them both was the trail of red that was staining the ground before the person, most likely blood, a sign that they were possibly injured. However, it was only as Link and Zelda were a few feet away that they saw the intricate designs on the back of the figure's dark robe, designs that were vaguely familiar to them both.

After exchanging a brief, troubled glance, the hero knelt down behind the injured person, apparently a woman based on the sound of her shallow breathing, a sudden, unidentifiable anxiety welling up inside of him. However, Link didn't think much of it, at least until he gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and carefully turned her towards him, allowing both him and Zelda to finally see her face.

The princess gasped in absolute shock, both of her hands flying to her mouth as he eyes grew wide. "I can't believe it…" she whispered to herself in awe, shaking her head in disbelief.

At the same time, the hero simply stared on numbly, his world suddenly changing in a mere instant as he looked at the woman he thought he would never see again. For a breathless moment, he was silent, his thoughts racing and crashing together as he gaped at her unconscious, bloodied form, not even thinking about how or why she was here. At the moment, all he could do was utter her name in a voice that was little more than a whisper, his eyes never leaving her lest she vanish just as she had when she had broken the Mirror of Twilight all those months ago.

"Midna…?"

* * *

**MIDNA?! Oh, yeah babies! I'm bringing Midna in! Wooooo! I have been trudging through so many chapters waiting for this moment! And so, as you can likely imagine, the next chapter is going to have Midna and Link actually conversing again, reconciling, catching up, emotional angsts and foreshadowing and all that good stuff. But seriously, I can't WAIT to write interactions between them! I think the friendship between Link and Midna is so complex and interesting and I am going to explore it so much here! Alrighty, so now I must be off to write another chapter of HW! Don't forget to show your love with a REVIEW! :D Until next time! :D**


	8. Danger on the Horizon

_Ok, well this chapter was actually super easy for me to write, mostly because of all the emotions (and the fact that its mostly dialogue!) and everything else that makes this chapter (IMAO) perfect! So for now, I'd like to thank dragon knightly, Sibela Kahkariko, and PrincessZelda1468 for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

_**Pouda-P**: Yeah, I'd be lying if I said that scene at the end where Link and Zelda find Midna isn't directly inspired by the scene where Korra finds Toph... (LOVED that moment, especially when Toph said: "nice you see you again, twinkle toes" XD_

_**Jarvis R. Yeriel:** Ah, all of your complaints about Link and Zelda apparently falling in love too fast are perfectly understandable, but allow me to assure you that I'm actually doing it on purpose for some stuff that's to come later on, all of which will hopefully help Link and Zelda both understand the problems with making such hasty, unfounded commitments. I wouldn't call their actions moronic, more... hasty than anything else. But please understand that its all in my intentions, which will become clear after a while! :)_

_**TheJediAvenger**: I THINK IT WILL BACKFIRE IN EVERY WAY! Hahahahaha... and yeah, Midna would be the one to do something like that... ;D_

_**Clover**: Yes we are! And here it is!_

_**RandomButLoved**: Yeah, I can promise that even if it may seem like I might ship Midlink in this, my main ship is going to always be Zelink through and through and that is the main pairing I'm going with in this story (also because Zelink is so freaking amazing OTP just yes (it kinda makes me flip my lid, ok?XD_

_**CupcakePride101**: Yeah, I am super hyped for MM3D. It'll be like a day one buy for me! :D And yes, something sinister is certainly on the way in a few chapters... And as far as how Midna got into the world of light... go back and check the first chapter if you need a bit of a refresher... ;)And yes! Ch. 6 had so much fluffy cuteness it was hard to contain it all! (and I do think that Ashei and Shad might have a little bit of a thing for each other, though I'd bet they'd be the first to deny it!) And yeah, most people in Hyrule actually don't know the story of the Triforce so... :P_

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: Oh yeah things are heating up between Link and Zelda, and they're only gonna get hotter in the next few chapters! XD_

_**ShadowRouge**: Glad to see that you're liking all of my books! I won't stop writing for anything! :D And yeah... Midna kinda did ruin their moment, but don't worry! They'll get another chance later on! And don't fret. I plan on shipping Link and Zelda ONLY here (though Link and Midna are my brotp! THey are total besties!)_

_**Guest**: Well, the first chapter explains how Midna got injured (by Verona), and she got back using some of her magic, as she'll explain in this chapter, and as for the cloak, well she wears a hood or cloak or whatever in her true form so... ;) And I dunno how everyone in Ordon would react, but we might get to find out in several chapters from now..._

_**Link The Hero of Light**: Well, here it is!_

_**Zelda the Wise**: Neither can I! And yes Midna is back! :D_

_**GO ZeldaXLink**: Yes, she is! And thanks so much! XD _

_Well, with that outta the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 7: Danger on the Horizon_

"_If I was not myself,  
And you were someone else,  
I'd say so much to you,  
And I would tell the truth…"  
-Dead in the Water, Ellie Goulding_

"_Link… I… See you later…"_

_Those were the last words she had said to him, but even before she had, he could have never guessed that they would be._

_The three of them stood before the mirror, the desert heat mild in the cool of the setting sun. He was still getting used to seeing her in her tall, true form, as opposed to the impish appearance he had traveled alongside for the past several months. When he first saw her as she truly was, she had jokingly asked if his speechlessness came from her rare beauty, and indeed it had. And yet, even despite this physical change, she was still the exact same Twili that joined him on his journey at heart, something that she had often reminded him of as she hid in his shadow while he was recovering from his injuries, staying by his side constantly, just like she always had._

"_Well… I guess this is farewell, huh?" she asked as they stood on the platform, preparing to part ways, something that already filled him with dread. The two of them had scarcely spent a moment apart over the past few months, and suddenly she was leaving. He understood, of course, that she had a kingdom of her own that she needed to return to and help revive. "Light and shadow can't mix, as well all know. But… never forget that there's another world bound to this one…"_

"_Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin…" the princess said eloquently. "One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason why the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world… They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes… That is what I believe…"_

_The Twilight Princess pondered this for a moment in silence, before she gave them both a warm smile. "Zelda… your words are kind, and your heart is true," she said graciously. "If all in Hyrule are like you… Then maybe you'll do alright…" And there was that impish grin that he was so used to, set upon a more lovely face now, but it was her face all the same. He couldn't help but slightly grin back, though he still said nothing to her, wishing that she could remain with him, but taking simple solace in the fact that at least she would be able to visit every now and then._

_She turned to face the mirror, stepping onto the platform before it that lead back to her realm as the steps to it appeared, but not before turning to face him once more. "Thank you…" she said with the upmost sincerity and gratitude in her tone. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again…"_

"_And we will, right, Midna?" he asked, anxious and hopeful. Her small smile finally faded upon hearing this, a hesitant sigh finally escaping her. For a brief moment, her crimson and yellow eyes looked sad, as if she was grieving something, before she finally shut them. A small, sparkling tear appeared on the corner of her eye, most likely born of magic, as she hung her head, a small, bittersweet smile crossing her violet lips._

"_Link…" she said with remorse as her tear began to drift away from her. She slowly lifted her hand up to press the small golden light away from her, urging it along its path even further. "I…" her voice was wavering and soft, but as the tear moved ever closer to the mirror, she finally said it, the words that would haunt him for months to come. _

"_See you later…"_

_The glistening tear finally touched the center of the mirror gently, and the moment it did, its intricately patterned surface began to split and crack. Confused, the hero and the princess both quickly turned to look at it, and it took him less than a moment to figure out what the Twilight Princess had just done._

_With a shocked gasp, he turned towards her once more as she ran up the steps, normal tears streaming down her face this time. "Midna!" he called out in desperation, panic beginning to fill him. She turned to face him once more, her expression guilty and sad at first before she gave him one last gentle smile, the light of the breaking mirror enveloping her. She said nothing more as he simply stared at her numbly, wanting to say so much to her, wanting to plead with her to stay, wanting to tell her how much her friendship had meant to him, but all at once finding nothing to say at all._

_Her tall form dissipated into particles of light, which were pulled back into the Twilight Realm just in time. The mirror shattered into millions of glowing pieces, its various shards disappearing into thin air so that it could never be repaired. The slab of rock that once projected the gateway to the Twilight grew dark and featureless, symbolizing that the connection between the worlds of light and shadow was forever broken._

_The hero himself felt broken as he simply stood there in the empty chamber, the sound of the shattered mirror still echoing throughout the atrium just as much as the Twilight Princess's last words to him echoed on and on inside his mind._

"_Link… I… See you later…"_

* * *

The hero's mind was racing with this memory as him the princess rushed back to the castle, carefully carrying the still unconscious, heavily wounded Midna in tow. All the while, Zelda had been voicing the questions that Link was unable to ask out of shock, such as how the Twilight Princess had been able to return, why she was in Hyrule in the first place, how she had been injured and more. For the most part, the hero remained silent, walking swiftly beside Epona as the princess sat upon it and made sure that Midna did not fall off. Even despite their wonderings, they both knew that they had to hurry; Zelda estimated that Midna was already on the brink of death as it was. The cold air and the still falling snow were doing little for her condition as she continued to bleed out from a wound that was centralized across her chest.

Zelda was so caught up with focusing on Midna's condition that she scarcely noticed that Link's eyes had not left the Twilight Princess since they found her. He scarcely knew how to react to seeing her again after so long, especially after thinking that he never would. Of course, he was certainly worried about her injuries, but at the moment, all he could really think about was one thing. If she had been able to return to the light world all this time, even without the Mirror of Twilight, then why hadn't she? That is, unless she had been sent to Hyrule against her will. Worry suddenly began to fill the hero as the three of them arrived back in Castle Town, its streets thankfully still empty at such a late hour of the night. Both Midna's injuries and her sudden appearance certainly must have meant that something had happened in the Twilight Realm, something that quite possibly could be heading for Hyrule next. After all, such a thing certainly coincided with Link and Zelda's respective nightmares. But for now, there was no way to know until the Twilight Princess awakened and was able to explain herself properly.

Despite her tall stature, Midna was fortunately light enough for the hero to carry on his own, which was what he did as him and the princess rushed back to the abandoned entrance to the castle. They wordlessly scaled the hidden staircase and eventually made it back to Zelda's room without any detection. Even though the Twilight Princess was certainly an ally to Hyrule, Link and Zelda were really the only two people in the kingdom who knew about her and her people. If she were to be discovered by anyone else, it would certainly lead to confusion and hysteria due to her exotic and mysterious appearance.

After laying Midna out on the princess's bed, Zelda lit a candle so that she could properly examine her injuries in order to treat them. Indeed, the Twilight Princess looked close to death; her breathing was shallow and soft, her heart was just barely beating enough to sustain her, her skin was ice cold and her pale blue complexion was even lighter. "I do not want to say for certain, but it appears as though she was in some kind of scuffle…" Zelda mused as she moved her hands a few feet above the unconscious Twilight Princess, using her magic to sense any irregularities. "I also sense that she is completely drained of both energy and power… What I do not understand is what could have occurred that wore her down so much and brought her back here to Hyrule…"

"Can you help her?" Link asked insistently, finally breaking his long-standing silence, though Zelda understood why he had maintained it for so long in the first place.

"I believe that I might be able to…" the princess said with a frown. "I have never healed a wound like this before, but with a little time and concentration, then I should be able to close it enough so that she can regain her energy and consciousness to tell us what happened…"

Saying no more, Zelda took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, the Triforce of Wisdom starting to glow on the back of her hand as she held it a few inches above Midna's wounded chest. The bloodied injury began to glow a soft golden light, signifying that the princess's healing magic was starting to work, but of course, it would take a while to see any viable results.

Deciding to let Zelda focus on working her healing magic, Link let out a soft sigh as he walked over to the wide windows, looking out at the snowy night as he tried to calm his racing thoughts down. It was a good thing the princess was there to be the level-headed, calm one in this situation, for the hero certainly wasn't. After all, how could he really be? For so many months now he had been forced to live his life without someone who had been there through all everything that he had to go through, someone whom he had grown to be so close to through their shared experiences. He had missed her terribly, to the point that her absence made him feel as though there had been a huge gap in his life where she used to be. He had lived each and every day thinking that he could never see her again, believing that she was forever out of his reach because of the gateway that she chose to sever herself. And yet, all at once, she had returned, even if he had no idea how or why. Sure enough, she had entered his life once more, as impossible and unbelievable as it may have seemed.

And yet, though Link knew that he should have been happy to have her back, elated even, he ultimately wasn't. In fact, he felt everything but those things; he was confused as to why she had returned, he was angry at her for leaving in the first place, he was worried for her poor current condition, and he was upset with himself for how poorly he had handled her absence. He was the Hero of Twilight, the one who had traversed the kingdom, taken down countless foes, and survived every trial, and this was ultimately the thing that had driven him into months of unshakable depression and loneliness. He should have been stronger, he should have been able to cope with it better, he should have been able to forget about it and just move on with his life, but he hadn't, and it still bothered him even now.

Of course, the hero knew that such things were not Midna's fault. After all, she had the best intentions for returning to her realm, but Link wished that it had not been in the way she had gone about it. She had barely left him with anything but a few empty parting words, no affirmation or explanation. Perhaps she had assumed that he would understand, but he didn't. He didn't understand why she had failed to give him a proper goodbye, a proper explanation, a proper anything. He didn't understand how she had been able to just leave him after all they had been through together. He didn't understand… and maybe that was exactly the problem.

About an hour had passed before Zelda's healing magic finally reached its full effect. The wound on Midna's chest suddenly glowed a bright golden light as the princess felt a great deal of energy return to her patient. Once the light faded away, Zelda smiled to herself in relief when she noticed that the Twilight Princess's injury was gone, and that her vital signs had finally returned to normal.

With a soft groan, Midna began to stir, rolling her head from side to side before her eyes slowly slipped open. Her vision was bleary and unfocused for a few seconds, as was her thoughts and memories as she found her way back into consciousness, but the first thing that she cognitively noticed was that she was no longer outside in the bitter cold as she had been when she collapsed in the field. The second thing she noticed was the princess sitting at her bedside, giving her a look of both relief and concern.

"Z-Zelda…?" the Twilight Princess asked weakly as she placed a hand to her pounding head, her chest still aching slightly even despite Zelda's healing care.

The princess of light nodded and gave Midna a benevolent smile, even though she was quite confused and amazed to see her again. But all the same, Zelda decided to put her pressing questions off for the moment to ensure that the Twilight Princess was well first. "It is a pleasant surprise to see you again, Midna," she said, still smiling softly. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I am…" Midna said as she forced herself to sit up, even though her lingering pain was inhibiting her. "Did you do something to heal me?"

"I did the best that I could," Zelda said, her smile fading into worry a little. "But you might still be sore where you were wounded for a while. I apologize."

"No, don't be sorry," the Twilight Princess said with a thankful smile. "I took a pretty bad beating after all… Speaking of which… Princess, do you know where-" Midna stopped herself short as she glanced towards the window and saw him, standing with his back turned to her and his arms crossed as he set his gaze firmly ahead of him. A pang of heavy guilt and remorse filled her heart as she stared at the hero for a moment, wondering why he wasn't so much as offering her any sign of a greeting. Certainly, he had been wanting to see her again just as much as she had been wanting to see him, right?

"Link?" she asked softly, hoping to get his attention. He heard her, but he still did not turn around to face her, as much as he wanted to. His own pain and heartache was holding him back from running to her and embracing her, telling her how much he had missed her and how miraculous it was to see her again after so long. But instead, he simply remained where he was, showing no sign of an external reaction at all even though everything inside of him was telling him to.

Zelda bit her lip upon noticing the tension that was quickly starting to fill the room. She could tell that Link was being unresponsive on purpose, and though she wished that he wasn't, she knew that there was little she could do to prompt him out of it. And so, she instead decided to start asking the Twilight Princess some of the many questions that had been accumulating over the past few hours. "Midna…" she began, taking in a deep breath as she caught the Twilight Princess's attention once more. "If I may ask… How did you find your way back into Hyrule? You shattered the Mirror of Twilight, the only gateway between our two worlds?"

Midna frowned bitterly as she glanced down, the memory of her one-sided battle against Verona returning to her, though it felt like it had been years ago instead of mere hours. "I used some of my tribe's forbidden magic, a spell that drained a lot of my power out of me…" she began, also recalling the reason why she had decided to make the dangerous venture to the light world in the first place. "It only worked as a one-way trip, but I knew that I had no other choice. I had to make it here so I could warn you two…"

"Warn us about what?" Zelda asked, worry creeping into her as she devoted all of her attention to the Twilight Princess.

Midna sighed in remorse as she hung her head, remembering well the disaster that had befallen her home "The Twilight Realm has fallen once again…" she said in quiet shame. "It was conquered right before I arrived here, which was only a few hours ago I guess. The leader of the invasion was my cousin, Verona, who was exiled from the palace for two years, until she returned with a strange, powerful type of magic that I have never seen before. She took out almost all of my guards, beat me into submission and took over before I could even do anything to stop her. I barely escaped from the Twilight Realm with my life. If you two hadn't found me when you did, I probably wouldn't be alive right now."

"What does this… Verona want with the Twilight Realm?" the princess asked with concern.

"To spite me, mostly," the Twilight Princess said with a scowl. "She's always hated me, and she's always been jealous that I was the rightful heir to the throne. But I think there's more to it than that. She mentioned something about some sorceress from several hundred years ago, and something about destiny or something like that… I can't really remember that well, considering I was almost unconscious by that point alone… But what's important right now is that I think I know what her next target is: Hyrule."

Zelda's eyes widened in fear upon hearing this and it was enough to get Link to finally turn around and face Midna, even though their eyes did not meet. Instead, the hero looked to the princess as they both remember their respective nightmares and the ominous connotations of them. Now there was no doubt about it; something disastrous was quite possibly on the way to Hyrule, and now they both knew what it was.

"Are you quite sure?" the princess asked anxiously, praying that it was not true.

"Positive," Midna said gravely. "She wants both worlds, just like Zant did, but Verona's ten times more powerful and more dangerous than he ever was. I know for a fact that she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants."

"Then what do you suggest we do about it?" Link finally asked her directly, though the Twilight Princess slightly recoiled at the clear harshness and bitterness in his tone. She simply stared at him dumbly for a moment, their eyes finally meeting for a brief moment before he looked away, a scowl quite apparent on his face.

"I… I don't know…" Midna muttered softly, speaking more to Zelda than she was to the hero.

"This couldn't have happened at any worse of a time…" the princess said fretfully. "My coronation is tomorrow evening…"

"You should think about calling it off then," the Twilight princess cautioned. "Things could get pretty nasty if Verona were to attack with that many people around."

"I am afraid it is not that simple…" Zelda said with a sigh. "I already had to cancel it once when Zant attacked, and that was a few mere days prior. All of the visiting dignitaries are here, everything is already in order, the preparations have all been made… It is simply too late to call it off now…"

"Well then, I guess you'll be going on with it at your own risk," Midna said with a frown, not trying to come off as cross to the princess, but trying to be serious nonetheless. "But all the same, we should try to come up with some sort of plan just in case Verona does try something."

"We don't need a plan," Link cut in stoutly, his arms still crossed and his expression still unyielding. "When and if she shows up, I'll stop her myself."

"What?" Midna asked in astonishment, completely bewildered by this proposal. "Are you crazy? Do you _want _her to come in here and kill you? You have no idea about the kind of power she possesses!"

"So?" the hero asked with an unconcerned shrug. "You should know better than anyone else that something like that has never stopped me before."

The Twilight Princess merely stared at him in disbelief before, having never heard him speak to her with such coldness in his tone before. Her thoughts were focused less on what he had said and more on how he had said it. She could tell that there was a hidden level of anger in his expression, something that he was just barely managing to conceal. She bit her lip hesitantly for a moment as an awkward silence filled the room, before she finally turned to the princess once more.

"Zelda… do you mind leaving us alone for a minute?" Midna asked politely, though she didn't take her glance away from Link for a moment.

Before Zelda even had a chance to respond, the hero shook his head stubbornly. "No, Zelda, you don't have to go," he said, with a subtle level of tenderness in his tone that he had not been showing to Midna. The Twilight Princess glared harshly at him and he returned it, knowing that anything she had to say to him could be said in the presence of the princess as well.

Zelda held in her breath as she looked between Link and Midna, sensing the clear tension that was between them, tension that she knew she had no part in. "No…" she said as she rose to stand, realizing that morning would soon arrive anyway. "It is fine… I must be off to ensure that everything is in order for the coronation anyway. I will see you both later on." With a nod of parting, the princess excused herself from the room, letting out a sigh to release the anxiety that had built up inside of her upon closing the door behind her. She knew well that whatever was about to transpire between the hero and the Twilight Princess certainly wouldn't be pleasant.

Once Zelda was gone, Link simply turned away from Midna once more, his distain towards her still quite apparent. The Twilight Princess didn't understand why he was acting like this, but she did have a hunch, and so she decided to act upon it as she slowly rose off of the bed, her chest still hurting slightly, but not as much as it had before.

"Alright," she said with a relenting sigh. "Say whatever it is you're going to say. Get angry or upset with me. Let it all go. It's fine; I can handle it. The goddesses only know I never held any of my anger back from you."

The hero said nothing for a moment before he shrugged once more, still keeping his gaze focused on the first signs of dawn outside the window. "I don't have anything to say," he said bluntly. "Just like you apparently had nothing to say about the fact that you planned on leaving forever."

"Is that really what this is about?" Midna asked as her own frustration began to grow. "Goddesses, Link, you really are stupid. If you're mad about that, then clearly you don't understand why I broke that mirror in the first place!"

"No, I don't understand, Midna!" Link exclaimed, finally turning to face her, his dark blue eyes livid. "I thought that we were friends, that we'd always be there for each other. I thought you valued our friendship just as much as I did, but clearly you didn't if you were able to leave without so much as a second thought!"

"How dare you!" the Twilight Princess said, completely appalled. "I can't believe that you, of all people, would say something so selfish! I broke the Mirror of Twilight so both of our worlds would be safe from the danger that they posed to each other! So something like what happened with Zant and Ganondorf wouldn't happen again!"

"Well, your plan worked so well, didn't it?" the hero asked with bitter sarcasm. "Clearly, it must have, since it's all about to happen again anyway!"

"You idiot!" Midna nearly yelled in aggravation. "You really think I could have ever seen something like this coming!? Believe me, this is the last thing that I wanted. But its real problem that we have to face, and you trying to be some big shot hero and stopping it on your own isn't going to prove anything at all."

"If you're just going to discourage me, then why did you even come back here at all?" Link asked coldly, not showing how hurt he truly was by her words. "You could have handled things in the Twilight Realm just fine without my help."

"You honestly think that's the only reason why I came back?" the Twilight Princess asked, her tone a bit softer than before, though it was still laced with frustration. "Yes, I did come to warn you and Zelda about Verona, but…" she trailed off, looking to the ground guiltily as her next words came out soft and almost remorseful. "I… I also really missed you, okay? The time that we spent together changed me for the better, and I have you to thank for that, Link…"

The hero's stony expression finally melted upon hearing this as he finally let her see some of the pain he had been holding back. "I… I missed you too, Midna…" he said softly, his voice tight and small. "More than you could ever really know… It's just… Why did you leave in the first place? You could have stayed…"

"I could have," Midna acknowledged. "But at the same time, I couldn't have. My people needed me, Link. I couldn't just abandon them for your sake alone. But… you should know that not a day went by without me regretting breaking that mirror…"

"You… you really mean that?" Link asked in slight disbelief, realizing that he had never stopped to think about how Midna would have felt about parting ways with him.

The Twilight Princess gave him a small, warm smile as she nodded. "I really do…" she said kindly. "You know, Link… You've barely changed a bit over these past few months. You're still just as stubborn and stupid as I remember you being… I kinda missed that…"

"And you're still just as mean and hot-headed as I remember you being," the hero said with a smile.

Midna laughed at little at this, before shaking her head and grinning at him reminiscently. "You know… maybe we could just put all of this mess behind us and things could go back to the way they used to be between us… What do you say?" she asked with hope in her tone.

Link's smile faded as he glanced down, the loneliness that he had grown so accustomed to filling his expression. "I wish we could…" he said with a sigh. "But we can't."

"What?" the Twilight Princess asked in confusion as she stepped closer to him. "Why not?" He didn't give her and answer, something that puzzled her even more as she studied his expression closely, finally understanding exactly why after a moment or two. "Link…" she said gently, reaching out to place a consoling hand upon his shoulder. "You… you know that I never meant to hurt you… right?"

"I know…" the hero said diffidently. "But even if you didn't… I've been hurting for the past several months anyway…" he said, finally admitting his pain to the one person he had been wanting to talk to about it for so long now. "I had no one to talk to about everything, no one who understood it like you do… I was starting to do better after I began spending time with Zelda, but then you suddenly show up and… I just don't know what to do…"

Midna said nothing as she listened to him intently, sympathy filling her. She knew that she had not made things easy for him, and now more than ever, she wished that she had not severed the gateway between the two of them like she had. She never would have if she had known that it would cause him so much pain and grief. "Maybe it's time for you to let all of sorrow go…" she suggested gently. "After all, I'm here now… We can stand against Verona and help save both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm together, just like old times…"

"And then you'll leave again, just like you did before…" Link said with the slightest edge of bitterness in his tone.

"No," the Twilight Princess said firmly, refusing to ever hurt him like she had again. "I won't. I'll find a way to reconnect our worlds so we won't have to separated like we were ever again. I promise."

"R-really?" the hero asked in awe, amazed that she was willing to do something so risky for his sake.

"Yes," Midna said with a small smile, before she bit her lip somewhat awkwardly. "Now… you know I'm not really a touchy-feely sort of person, but…" Before she could even open her arms out to him, Link had already rushed to her and had embraced her quickly, eliciting a small gasp from the Twilight Princess, though she returned the hug nonetheless. The two of them had never really embraced before, but it seemed appropriate now, after having been reunited when they both thought that they never would.

"It really will be just like old times…" the hero said contentedly as he closed his eyes, hoping that the Twilight Princess wouldn't see the tears of happiness that had begun to stream down his cheeks, lest she tease him about them.

"Yes…" Midna said with a glad sigh as she glanced down at him, knowing that even though the circumstances that had brought them back together were less than ideal, their strong friendship finally had a chance to pick up again. Of course, they were both still scarred and torn after having been apart for so long, and while things had certainly changed between the two of them, one thing was certain: a bond like theirs was not so easily broken by time and distance, no matter what either of them had once thought. "It will be…"

* * *

**Well, the feels of this chapter have killed me, but don't fret since the next chapter is certainly going to be lighter since we're going to center on Zelda's coronation (which will be a TON of fun for me to write) and have a little romance, foreshadowing, angst, what have you. And then, after that, the plot will finally commenceth in full force, so hooray! :D Anyway, don't forget to leave a REVIEW as always, cause I love them to death and I will love you if you give them to me! hahahaha... Until next time!**


	9. The Coronation

_Ok, well I must say that even though it took me all of two days to write this chapter, I am quite proud of it! Its mostly a romance chapter, but that certainly isn't a bad thing! After all, this chapter got me going with some REAL zelink feels and writing adorable cuteness between the OTP is always cathartic! But aside from shipping, we also have a little foreshadowing, which is always a great thing! For now, I'd like to thank luckerL, YueHamachi and Darthcourt for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

_**Clover**: Yeah, they're getting along... for the most part!_

_**ShadowRouge**: Hahaha, well I might as well say that (spoiler!) the kiss is in this chapter and I think its pretty adorable and awesome... ;)_

_**explodingbunnies52**: You're welcome!_

_**CupcakePride101**: Happy (late) birthday! And yeah, Link was kinda pissed at Midna, but at least things are better between them now! And in this chapter we're gonna have even more fun moments between them! :D_

_**TheJediAvenger**: I freaking love it when u do that! hahaha LET'S GO KICK HER ARSE! (spoiler that u already know: its totally not gonna happen like that hahahah XD)_

_**Jarvis R. Yeriel**: Nah, he really just has Zelda to worry about hahaha But as far as Midna goes, I don't think she's really mean either, just kinda short tempered (which will be clear here!) And as far as showing Link and Zelda a little of what their reality is actually like, I'm actually gonna do a little of that in this chapter, so hooray! And while you may bash Link, I still have to say that I love him as a character, even if I do agree that he is kinda foolish like a lot of the times. I dunno, it just sorta helps his character grow into someone more responsible and wiser I think. :)_

_**RandomButLoved**: I don't know if Verona's gonna attack after an argument per say... more like... after a disappointment that occurs in this chapter (even if Verona doesn't come back in until the next one!) And yeah, Link's overconfidence is kinda worrying, and it will certainly serve as a Temple of Soulsish moment during their first encounter, though with much more dire consequences... (I hope i haven't spoiled too much! I'm just super excited! hahaha ;D_

_**Beforethedawnbreaks**: Nah, Link and Midna are just friends. Link and Zelda on the other hand... well, just read the chapter XD_

_Ok! Well, with all that outta the way, let's get started!_

* * *

_Chapter 8: The Coronation_

"_This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest. Warm and curious. This is the first kiss that makes me want another."  
-Katniss, The Hunger Games_

_Today is the day… _Zelda thought with a deep breath as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was only late into the morning, but her attendants had already made sure that she was completely prepared for the coronation ceremony and succeeding ball. And indeed, she certainly looked the part of a queen. Her gown was beautiful and elegant beyond words, her presence illustrious and brimming with the wisdom she was so known for. And yet, in her cobalt eyes, there was still the slightest bit of apprehension and fear, as much as she was trying to press much-needed confidence into them. She certainly needed it in the midst of all of the nerves that had filled her in the past twenty four hours alone.

Of course, Midna's warning still rung out clear in her mind, perhaps now more than ever, as did her nightmares of the previous night. The princess did not doubt that both were on the mark; after all, why else would the Twilight Princess have come so far under such dire conditions? And yet, what distressed Zelda was that she had literally no idea what to do in order to protect her kingdom from the possible threat that Verona posed to it. The warning had come so short notice that the princess feared that she was not prepared to handle a possible attack if one were to happen. The only thing she could really do was pray to the goddesses that this mysterious new foe would not appear in Hyrule during the coronation, not for her own sake, but rather for the sake of her people, who were so elated and joyous over the occasion that a catastrophe such as this would certainly lower their newly-raised spirits.

As Zelda's thoughts turned to her people, she let out another anxious sigh, the same dread that she had known for the past several months filled her mind once more. Perhaps more than anything else she had to be nervous about on a day such as this, the thoughts that her people might have for her were paramount. As the queen of Hyrule, the last thing she wanted to do was let her citizens down once more. Already public opinion of her was low amongst many common circles, and this was something she knew as a fact. There were most likely many in the kingdom who did not believe the princess worthy of taking the throne, and yet it was those people who she wanted to prove wrong the most. She had vowed long ago that her highest mission as queen was to improve the lives of the common people, something that she was especially resolved to do after the past few days she had spent among them in Castle Town with Link. It wouldn't be easy, but Zelda was convicted to do everything in her power to ensure that her people were safe and content. After all, that was all she really wanted.

But even despite her firm resolve, the princess was still anxious. She was about to take quite a large step in her life, and after today, nothing would ever be the same for her again. In just a few hours, she would move from the title of princess that she had always known, to the regality of a queen, the sole high ruler of Hyrule, the one who everyone looked up to and depended on. It was certainly an intimidating thought. And yet, Zelda felt some comfort in holding onto the promise that the hero had made to her the previous night, that he would stay be her side and give her support when she needed it most. Merely thinking of Link brought a small smile to the princess's trepidations face, setting her worries to ease and her thoughts to peace as she glanced out the window at the white snow still falling upon the land, covering it in a lush, fluffy blanket. As she prepared to head down into the grand hall for one last rehearsal, the princess couldn't help but wonder how the hero was faring with the Twilight Princess, especially considering the obvious tension and distain that had seemed to be between the previous night, before she left them to sort out their differences. And, Zelda also wondered if Link had received the final gift that she had sent intended to him, a small part of her unable to wait out of excitement for seeing him with it later that night.

* * *

"So, you say you've been_ lost _without me these past several months?" Midna asked Link teasingly as she sat and watched him practice a few sword techniques, as was his practice to do nearly every day. Since the coronation was not for several more hours, the two of them had relatively little to do, and so they had kept to the guest room the hero was staying in, casually conversing and catching up as a way of passing the time.

"I never said I was 'lost' without you," Link retorted, rolling his eyes at her. "All I said was that I missed you. You've always had a bad habit of twisting my words around, you know."

The Twilight Princess chuckled in amusement at this, leaning forward as she watched him practice. "You're going to have to do better than that if you want to stand a chance against Verona," she said with newfound seriousness in her tone upon seeing his rather slow swing. "Looks like you're a little rusty after all these months…"

"Well, Hyrule's been at peace for the past several months," the hero said with a frown, though he continued to focus nonetheless. "It doesn't really need a hero anymore."

Midna was silent for a moment upon noticing the hint of bitterness in his tone. "Who told you that?" she asked softly, realizing that this was certainly yet another sore subject for him.

"No one," Link answered truthfully, a small sigh of weariness escaping him. "I just know…"

"Well, you _should _know that's not true," the Twilight Princess said with firm reassurance. "Even in times of peace, a kingdom still needs its hero. Especially in times such as this, when an attack might very well be on its way even as we speak."

"Speaking of which…" the hero said as he placed his sword aside for a moment to turn to the Twilight Princess. "Why is your cousin so set on taking over the Twilight Realm and Hyrule anyway?"

"Well, the Twilight Realm was simply so she could get back at me…" Midna admitted with a cross expression of ire for Verona. "Like Zant, she thought that the throne was rightfully hers, but when she tried to take it using our tribe's forbidden magic, she was exiled. But Hyrule… I don't know what she really wants with it… If anything, I'd have to guess that she just wants control. She wants to dominate everything in her path and she thinks that she has enough power to do so. She's crazy, and she needs to go down."

"Then we'll take her down," Link said with confidence and courage. "Together."

The Twilight Princess smiled softly upon hearing his resolve, knowing that even after everything that had changed, his unwavering determination that she respected so much about him had not. However, before either of them could say anything else, a sudden knock on the door interrupted both of their thoughts. At first, Link believed it to be Zelda, but Midna was quick to stop him before he could freely open the door, knowing that the princess was certainly far too busy to come calling upon them now. "Wait!" she hissed, her voice a cautious whisper. The hero was quick to catch onto what she was implying as she sent him a warning glare, both of them knowing that Midna did not want herself to be seen by any of the people of Hyrule, exactly as the case had been during their initial travels together.

Link simply gave her an expectant look, as if wordlessly telling her to hide. The Twilight Princess let out an exasperated sigh before rising from her seat and heading over his way, before using her magic to vanish out of sight, slipping away into his shadow just as she always had done before.

"I thought you could only do that as an imp," the hero whispered to her, glancing down at his shadow with an impressed grin.

"Come on," Midna said with a slight giggle as she remained concealed in the darkness. "You really think I can't do all that and more in my true, beautiful form? Just you wait and see, my little wolf," she teased, calling him by the nickname that she had come up for him long ago, one that he absolutely hated, but tolerated nonetheless.

Once the Twilight Princess was silent, Link finally proceeded to open the door, only to find that no one was there. However, as he glanced down, he noticed that something had been left right in front of the door, a bundle of items that were no doubt meant for him. The hero took the tied-up bundle in his arms and closed the door, allowing Midna to rise from his shadow and show herself once more as they both examined this package together.

The first thing that Link noticed was the small card lying on top of the pile, the hero's name penned on the outside in the princess's curved, graceful handwriting. Before anything else, the hero set the other items on the desk for the Twilight Princess to sift through as he opened the card and read the short note that Zelda had left for him inside:

_To my noble, honorable hero, Link,_

_It is with the highest regret that I wish I could have delivered this parcel to you personally, but as you likely already know, I've barely even had a single moment to even think this morning, much less pen this note to you. And yet, I knew that I would be completely remiss if I did not offer you one more gift, one that I encourage you to accept, even despite the humble nature that I have come to know you by. I know that it is not much, but it is given as a labor of gratitude for your agreeing to remain here with me (though if you have had second thoughts on the matter, I would understand as well), as well as the wondrous time you have shown me over the course of our week together. You might have already noticed that I have included the Ordon Sword that you bequeathed to me in this package. Please understand that I do not wish to reject your gift; I simply would feel much more secure if you kept it with you at least for this evening's festivities, just in case we are faced with an attack, so that we may be better prepared to handle it. However, the other pieces of it are yours to keep. These heirlooms have been passed down by the royal family for generations, and it has oft been said that they belonged to Hylian heroes of the past. Much like the Ocarina of Time, I believe that it is your right as our newest hero to take them into your possession as well. Once more I would like to thank you for all you have done for me, Link. I look forward to seeing you later this evening._

_Princess Zelda_

"Ooo," Midna cooed as she read the note over Link's shoulder, ripping it out of his grip before he even had time to think over it. "Looks like I was right after all!"

"Right about what?" the hero asked with a confused frown as he glanced down at the three items of the table, one of which was the Ordon Sword as the princess had said.

"You and the princess have a thing for each other, don't you?" the Twilight Princess asked, giving him a knowing grin.

"W-what?!" Link stammered, his eyes growing wide upon hearing this question. "No, we don't! We… we're just friends!"

"'Just friends', huh?" Midna asked, not believing him for a second. "Then why'd she call you _her _noble hero, then? Sounds to me like she has a little crush on you…"

"You're crazy," the hero scoffed, even though his cheeks were quickly growing red in embarrassment. "We've only been hanging out for a few days. There's nothing going on between us."

"Say whatever you want, but there was no denying how the two of you looked at each other last night," the Twilight Princess said in a sing-song voice. "Even I noticed the hint of affection the two of you were showing towards each other. But don't worry; I actually think it's kinda cute. You and Zelda would make a nice couple."

"We're not a couple!" Link argued, even though he knew that Midna was just trying to goad him as she always did.

Midna simply giggled impishly, even despite the elegance and grace of her true form, showing that her playful personality certainly hadn't changed. "Alright, fine," she said with a shrug, even though it was clear that she still didn't believe him. "You're not a couple. Now, why don't we see what she got you?"

Though still somewhat aggravated with her, the hero nodded in agreement and turned to the package, which was wrapped up in brown parchment. Upon tearing it off, they found that the package consisted of two items: a long, flowing crimson cape, made of very old fabric and yet there was very little signs of wear and tear to it, and, a set of sturdy golden shoulder armor to go with it.

"Very fancy…" the Twilight Princess mused with an impressed smile as she snatched the cape away from Link, just as she had the letter, and held it up against his back. "I guess Zelda and I agree on the fact that you could stand to look a little more heroic, and this will definitely do the trick."

"Give me that," the hero said with an exasperated laugh as he took the cloak back from her, draping it over his shoulders overtop the mantle to see what they looked like. Indeed, Midna had not been wrong; they both did make him look more heroic, going in perfect conjunction with the hero's tunic he wore, the sturdy, expensive-looking red fabric of it somehow suiting him perfectly. Link couldn't but grin a little at his reflection in the mirror as he looked at the cape, thinking of how Zelda had decided to give him such a thoughtful gift out of the kindness of her heart.

"Still think the princess doesn't like you?" Midna asked coyly, as if she had been reading his thoughts. The hero was half-tempted to argue with her once again, but for once he didn't. Instead, his smile grew slightly at the thought that the Twilight Princess might actually be right. Maybe Zelda really did like him after all, and perhaps, as strange as it was to think, maybe she even liked him as more than just a friend.

* * *

The grand hall of Hyrule Castle was seated to the brim with people; hundreds of guest, royal and otherwise, had been invited to the coronation of Hyrule's new queen and the long sanctuary was packed to its full capacity as a result. Many nobles and officials from other nations had come to represent their lands to the kingdom's young ruler, as well as to establish goodwill with her, as was customary when a new leader was appointed. Officials from the various regions and races of Hyrule were also in attendance, as were many members of Hyrulian high society and aristocracy. However, the upper class and well-off were not the only ones present; Link and Midna, who, not wanting to miss out on seeing Zelda be crowned, had opted to stay out of the shadows, but instead conceal herself carefully with a long cloak, sat towards the back of the hall, which was as close as they could get considering the hero's status as a commoner rather than a royal. But neither of them were too upset about this; after all, they could still see the front of the sanctuary, where the bishop stood ready for the princess's entry, and since they were on the inside of the aisle, they would get a clear view of Zelda as she marched in.

The rumble of conversation in the room soon died down as the trumpeters began to play their instruments, a solid fanfare echoing throughout the walls of the room. Their song died down as the voices of the choir took over, singing a gentle, elegant tune, the song of the royal family, as the large wooden doors at the back of the sanctuary slowly creaked open, and the princess herself entered the room.

The entirety of the crowd was stunned into silence as Zelda slowly walked in, her steps careful and graceful. All eyes were on her as she kept a firm, yet benevolent expression as she walked, already carrying the air of a queen in all of her royal elegance. Link admittedly found it difficult to breathe as he stared at her with wide, captivated eyes, totally engrossed by her immaculate beauty. He knew well that she was lovely already, but now, she looked as though she was one of the very goddesses she had told him of a few nights prior. Her gown looked as though it was spun of pure gold as it shimmered in the dying light of the day that was streaming in through the large windows of the hall. It cut off at her shoulders, though its sleeves were ruffled and silky. The beautiful dress flowed all the way down to her feet as it brushed across the floor as she walked, the banner hanging from the violet sash around her waist bearing Hyrule's emblem proudly. She wore a pure gold necklace bearing the crest of the royal family to match her Triforce-shaped earrings, and her long white gloves were accentuated with curved, golden designs, just as the rest of her outfit was. From her back flowed a long white cape, going a ways past her feet as it gently dragged across the carpeted ground. Her auburn hair hung free and long, without a single piece out of place as it seemed to shine even more than usual. Her already beautiful face was relatively free of makeup, save for the lavender eye shadow and slight hint of pink lipstick. And as she marched down the aisle, she appeared to be the very image of perfection and regality itself, which was why it shocked the hero so much when her light azure eyes met his for just a moment, a small, pleased smile gracing her lips as she gave him the slightest nod of greeting before moving past him.

"She looks incredible…" Link whispered to Midna in awe after the shock had worn off, though his eyes did not leave Zelda for a single moment. The Twilight Princess grinned slyly to herself, knowing that he was just confirming what she had teased him of earlier, but she decided not to say anything at the moment, knowing that if something was bound to happen between the princess and the hero, it would happen soon enough.

As she made her way down the aisle, Zelda felt admittedly calm and confident, two things which certainly radiated from her as she came to stop before the bishop, the choir's song quieting, but continuing softly in the background as the ceremony began. Since the princess would be the one to give a speech to her people later at the ball, the official started with the most important part, the bestowal of the royal crown itself.

Zelda watched as the bishop took the beautiful, glistening tiara from its pillow, holding it high so that the entire company could see its radiance and symbolism. The crown was a relatively simple piece, composed entirely of the purest of gold and rumored to be handed down to the royal family by the goddesses of old themselves. Its central feature was the emblem of the Triforce cut into its crest, each piece of the holy relic displayed in a different sort of gemstone: a ruby for Power, a sapphire for Wisdom, and an emerald for Courage.

Knowing her part perfectly, Zelda lowered her head as the bishop placed the tiara upon her head, allowing her to clasp it into place herself. Raising once more, the official held out the royal orb and scepter, both composed of the same gold and gemstones as the tiara, out for the princess to take. Zelda's mind was completely clear and unafraid as she reached out and took the items into her hands, taking in a deep breath before turning to face the masses behind her, all of whom stood in respect and veneration to her.

"_Olim in ordine regum Hyrule_," the bishop said in a loud voice, speaking in ancient Hylian as was the custom for a coronation. "_In honoreom dei nostri superbe patriam pulchram, et numina prisca nomina et aurea: Din, Nayru et Farore_…" The bishop paused for a moment before speaking in current Hylian once more so that everyone could understand his most important statement. "On this day we crown thee: Zelda Sayre Nohansen Hyrule the Fiftieth, Queen of Hyrule."

Zelda's eyes widened ever so slightly as she heard this, realizing that in one mere moment alone, she had just gone from princess to queen. Her heart was racing with both excitement and fear, but she did not let either of those things show as she stood erect and royal before the people as they repeated her name as a resounding thong: "Long live Queen Zelda of Hyrule!" the shouted as a unit, before the crowd broke out into an almost deafening applause. Zelda could not help but smile softly to herself as she allowed herself this moment of pride and honor, knowing that even despite all of her previous anxiety and worry, she was queen now, and she was determined to do her people proud.

* * *

The ballroom, though larger than the grand hall, was every bit as packed as music wafted through its high, vaulted ceilings. Couples gracefully danced across the floor to the tunes, while many more simply stood on the sides in conversation, enjoying the festive evening. However, all of this soon came to a pause as the royal trumpets sounded once more, signifying the queen's oncoming arrival to the party.

"Announcing her royal highness, Queen Zelda or Hyrule," an attended shouted over the crowds as Zelda came to stand before the throne at the head of the room. All of the people bowed low in respect before her as the queen smiled and looked over them, feeling more prepared to address them than ever before as they rose and applauded her once again.

"Greetings fair people of Hyrule, as well as my honored quests from other lands," Zelda began, her voice clear and carrying throughout the large room as she spoke. "I welcome you to this grand occasion and I thank you for the support that you provide to both myself and to Hyrule. As queen, I can assure you all that my highest priority shall be my people, of all walks of life and throughout all the land. The terrors and disaster that had once befallen this kingdom not too long ago are now over, and peace and harmony stands in their place. The golden goddesses on high smile down upon us on this day, renewing our power, our wisdom, and our courage. For it was by their providence and mercy that they sent to this land a savior in its darkest hour. And while he may not view himself as worthy of such an honor, he deserves it nonetheless for all he has done to restore this kingdom to its former glory. I would like to invite him to come and stand by my side, so that he may at least be recognized for his courageous deeds. Please, come forward, Link, the Hero of Twilight!"

For a long moment, the hero, who had been standing off to the side of the ballroom along with the Twilight Princess, simply stared up towards the queen in surprise, bewildered by what she had said until Midna playfully jabbed him with her elbow, shaking him out of it. "Hey, she's talking about you," the Twilight Princess said with a small giggle upon seeing the clear shock in his face. "Better go on up there with her!"

Still rendered speechless, Link simply nodded and slowly made his way up towards Zelda, the crowds all parting for him seamlessly. For some reason he couldn't quite place, the closer he got to the queen, the more nervous he became, anxiety filling him as his heart began to race and he broke out into a cold sweat. He was unable to hide how amazed he was, especially as Zelda smiled softly and warmly at him as he finally stood beside her, the crowd breaking out into a round of resounding cheers in honor of the hero, who merely took them in stride. He felt honored and unworthy of their praise, but what was shaking him up the most was that he was standing at the side of the new queen of Hyrule, who was so radiant and royal that he couldn't help but feel small and insignificant by comparison.

Zelda took note of his clear apprehension as she glanced over at him, but she clearly mistook its source. She slowly leaned over to him, whispering loud enough so that he could hear as the applause began to die down. "Do not worry," she said with a small laugh. "You are not obligated to give a speech."

Link glanced over at her in confusion for a moment, but decided to go along with it, simply nodding in answer as the music resumed and the activities picked up once more, leaving the hero and the queen to finally speak. For several moments, a somewhat awkward silence lingered between them as they watched the pairs waltzing on the floor, before Link finally gathered up both the nerve and the courage to turn to Zelda once more.

"You… you look beautiful," he said with a small, good-natured grin, looking upon her shining loveliness once more, as it was hard for him to take his eyes off of her.

"Thank you…" the queen said, glancing down with a small smile and a light blush gracing her cheeks. "You look very handsome yourself this evening," she said, referring to his cleaned-up appearance, including his forest green tunic and cap, as well as the cape and mantel she had sent to him. And yet, even so, she couldn't help but smirk at the fact that his golden hair was still slightly disheveled as it always was, something that she wouldn't change about him for the world. "I see that you received my gift. I trust is is to your liking?"

"Yes, it is," Link said with a nod of gratitude, though his tone was quite formal. He had no idea why speaking to Zelda had suddenly become such a challenge for him; after all, they had both talked so freely and openly over the past several days. What had changed since then?

Another beat of silence passed between the two of them before the queen let out a small, contented sigh. "It is truly a sight to see, isn't it?" she asked the hero, pride welling up in her tone. "To see Hyrule know such peace and joy once more. It is simply glorious."

"Speaking of which," Link said, finally realizing that he had something to talk to her about. "Midna told me that we should all be on our guards, just in case her cousin really does decide to attack."

"Oh, yes," Zelda said with a serious nod. "Believe me, I already have many guards stationed all over the castle with the command to report to me at the first sign of trouble. I am praying that nothing will spoil such a happy occasion, but just in case something does, hopefully we shall be ready for it."

The hero nodded, but he quickly found that he was out of things to say once more. The queen, on the other hand, seemed to be at perfect ease, a light smile gracing her lips as she looked out at the dancing figures, a slight look of longing on her expression. As Link noticed this, he quickly realized what Zelda wanted, but for the longest time, his nerves kept him from asking her, until finally, he forced his anxiety away and turned to her once more.

"Zelda?" he began, his heart clenching with a strange kind of fear he had never felt before as she turned to him with a radiant smile on her beautiful face.

"Yes, Link?" she said expectantly, her tone hopeful as she anticipated what he was going to ask her.

The hero took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, before he started to purpose his question. "Would you-"

However, before he could finish, Link was interrupted by another voice instead. "Your majesty," a regally handsome young man, who had suddenly popped in out of nowhere, much to the hero's aggravation, cut in, bowing low before the queen in respect. "Might I have this dance?"

Link and Zelda exchanged a brief glance, and the queen could clearly note the disappointment that had claimed the hero's face before she turned to the young man, whom she recognized as a marquis from a neighboring kingdom. "I am sorry your lordship," she said with a polite incline of her head. "But I do believe that the Hero of Twilight was about to ask me something. You were saying, Link?"

The hero stared at her for a brief moment as the reality of it all suddenly crashed down upon him. This was her world, not his. It was a world of high-ranking officials and royalty, a world of fine class and sophistication. It was a world that he had never known until now, and he knew that even though he might have looked the part, it was a world in which he could never truly belong in. And so, Link simply glanced away from Zelda, letting out a small sigh before he merely shook his head in relent. "Never mind," he said, though he still wished that he had been bold enough to ask her for the first dance instead of some pompous marquis. "It… It wasn't important anyway. See you later, your highness."

Zelda frowned as she watched him turn and abruptly walk away. Something inside of her as hurting as she watched him leave, but she wasn't quite sure what. She could tell that he had not wanted to leave by the bitterness in his tone, bitterness that was certainly not aimed at her, but at what, she had no idea. At the same time, she felt dejected; she had been hoping that Link would be the first one to ask her to dance, but he hadn't, and she couldn't understand why he had backed down, even when he had the perfect opportunity. Her mind was so consumed with thoughts and worries for the hero that she barely even noticed as the marquis took her hand and led her onto the floor for their dance, wishing all the while that she was with the one whom she could not deny she had developed affections for after all.

Not wanting to see Zelda dancing with someone else, Link refused to glance over her way as he lost himself in the large crowd on the side of the room, regret filling his thoughts all the while. He should have been much more bold and direct than he had been, and he certainly should not have let her slip through his fingers as he had. He could face certain death without even flinching, and yet the thought of merely asking the queen of Hyrule to dance somehow terrified him. Indeed, he truly had come to care for her deeply over the past several days, but that was when the two of them had been free to be themselves, to enjoy each other's company without any social restrictions. Now, however, things were so much different. She was the queen, the highest figure of authority and power in the land, the wizened matriarch that all people revered and respected. And while he was the hero of the land, he was also a mere farmhand from the backwoods of the kingdom, who, up until less than a year ago, had been an absolute nobody. He had been deluding himself by thinking that their kinds could ever mix.

"What was that?" Midna asked with a scoff as she stepped out of the shadows behind Link, crossing her arms and frowning down at him. "You were right up there with her, and you just let her go off and dance with some other guy!"

"It's not like I could really stop her," the hero said dryly, pretending not to care even though he really did.

"Yes, you could have!" the Twilight Princess said, clearly frustrated with his lack of effort as much as he was. "You could have asked her yourself!"

"Well, I tried to!" Link protested bitterly. "But I'm not like her, Midna! I'm not royal, or rich, or anything else and I never will be! I have nothing to offer her. Why would she even waste her time with someone like me when she could have someone so much better?"

"Why _wouldn't_ she waste her time with someone like you?" Midna said with a small consoling smile as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure that she'd rather hang out with you then any rich, royal guy out there. You said she asked you to stay here with her, right? That means she wants _you_, Link, regardless of anything like status, money or power. She cares about you, and I think you're just too afraid to see it."

"I'm not afraid," the hero argued firmly, though he genuinely felt reassured by the Twilight Princess's kind words.

"Then prove it," Midna said, giving him a coy smile. "Go on out there, and ask her for the next dance!" Upon saying this, the Twilight Princess gripped him by the shoulders and spun him around, only for both of them to see Zelda herself making her way towards them, having finished her dance with the marquis. Midna smiled in satisfaction upon seeing the hopeful expression on the queen's face, and, already knowing what was about to happen, she let go of Link, but not before giving him a slight shove in Zelda's direction.

"Hello, you two," the queen said with a small laugh of levity upon seeing the playful interaction between the former companions. "Are you enjoying yourself, Midna?"

"I suppose so," the Twilight Princess shrugged nonchalantly, before grinning at the hero once more. "But I think that Link has something to ask you, your highness…"

Link sent Midna a small, insincere glare for putting him on the spot, before he turned back to Zelda, who was looking at him expectantly once more. "Yes, Link?" she asked, hoping that nothing would interrupt him this time.

"Well…" the hero began someone diffidently, averting her light blue gaze. "Your highness…_ Zelda_," he corrected himself, knowing that even though she was queen, she still wanted him to call her by her name rather than her title. "I… I was just wondering… um…. Would… would you-"

"Link," Zelda suddenly cut him off, taking his slightly trembling hands in her own and smiling warmly at him, before asking the question he had meant to pose all alone. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Link stared at her in awe for a long moment, before nodding dumbly, though he couldn't help but break out into a small smile as she began to lead him onto the open floor. He glanced back at Midna for a brief moment as she gave him a thumbs up and a wink of encouragement, still keeping herself in the shadows as she watched the pair take their place in the center of the hall.

A soft, sweet, gentle tune began to play as the hero and the queen began to get into position, all eyes turning towards them, though neither of them really cared. However, Link was still the slightest bit anxious as Zelda put her hand on his shoulder, something that she clearly noticed as he was hesitating to put his other hand into the proper position.

"Have you ever ballroom danced before, Link?" the queen whispered with a small giggle.

"No…" the hero said with a small, bashful grin. "Not really. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Zelda reassured him, taking his free hand and guiding it to its proper place on her side, something that filled Link with both a rush of warmth and a rush of terror all at once. "Just follow my lead. There is really nothing to dancing as look as you make it look like you know what you're doing."

And with that, the dance suddenly began as many couples cleared out of the way to make room for the queen and the hero to dance alone. They moved together fluidly and gracefully, even despite Zelda's rather bulky skirt and Link's relative lack of experience. However, he longer the dance drew on for, the more they forget all about the crowds watching them, or the former dread that both of them had been feeling. They did not hear the whispers of how they were a beautiful couple or that certainly the Queen of Hyrule and the Hero of Twilight were simply meant to be together. Even the music began to drift away into nothingness as they simply gazed into each other's eyes, no words needing to convey the emotions that they were feeling. They felt nothing but absolute bliss and joy as they glided across the floor, feeling as though they were dancing on air instead. In that moment, if anyone were to tell them that they belonged together, neither of them would have argued it at all, because they were both clearly starting to agree that maybe, even despite the differences between their backgrounds, there was something between them that just could not be denied.

As the music gently wafted away and the dance came to an end, Link and Zelda finally stopped moving in the center of the floor, though they did not let go of each other, even as the crowd applauded them cheerfully. Their eyes had not left each other for a single moment and that was just fine with both of them as they finally broke out into small, affectionate smiles, knowing that out of everything they had done together so far, this was by far the best yet.

* * *

After several more rounds of dancing, Link and Zelda had made the unceremonious decision to steal away from the party for a while, and instead take to one of the balconies outside of the ball room. Even though the air outside was cold and snow was still sprinkling down from the night sky, both of them felt quite warm as they walked out into it together, taking in the peace and serenity of the white flakes covering everything near and far in a blanket of pure white. Since snow was covering the balcony's stone bench, the two of them opted to stand instead of sit, though they held on tightly to each other's hands and remained close so that they could keep each other warm and so that they would not have to break apart.

"I have been having a wonderful time with you this evening, Link," Zelda said with a demure smile. "Thank you so much for being here…"

"There's no place else I'd rather be," Link said with absolute honestly as he drew her in the slightest bit closer to him.

The queen glanced down with a small blush before glancing up at him once more. "I hate to ask this twice, but… you still plan on staying here, do you not?" she asked, praying that he had not changed his mind.

"Of course," the hero said with absolute certainty. "I doubt I could ever even think about leaving now…"

"Oh, Link…" Zelda said with a contented sigh, scarcely able to describe how high her heart was leaping. "I… I must admit… I cannot think of a time in which I was ever happier than this moment right now. I wish that it could last forever…"

Link smiled affectionately at her, all of his former fear and anxiety about being near her having washed away as he slowly and gently placed his hand under her chin and pointed her gaze up to him, their faces lingering quite close as the queen's breath began to softly shudder with excitement and nervousness. "I don't see why it can't," the hero said, his voice little more than a soft, comforting whisper as he pulled her in even closer.

And then, before either of them knew what was really happening, their lips touched. Their kiss began slowly, gently and light, but it gradually deepened as they easily embraced. Zelda pressed her hands against Link's strong, lean chest as he wrapped his arms around her slender, curvy waist. Even though they had never kissed before, it was as though they somehow already had each other memorized. Both of their minds were completely empty as they remained in this position for quite some time, their hearts entwining together without them really noticing it.

However, it was only as their lips finally started to part that the ramifications of what had just occurred suddenly hit the queen in full force. Somehow, every time she was with the hero, she seemed to forget that she was the monarch of an entire country, but now she remembered, especially as the two of them stayed mere inches apart from one another. Time seemed to still as Zelda's heart and mind went to war, her mind reminding her that her duty was to her people above all else and her heart wanting to peruse all of the new emotions she was feeling towards Link. But in the end, she knew that no matter how she felt about him, their respective positions would not change. She was still the queen and he was still only a peasant, as much as she wished it was not so. If he was royalty just as she was, this would be so much easier, but she knew that he was not, and the last thing Zelda wanted to do was force Link into a life that he had never really known or been a part of. Suddenly, she regretted ever asking him to stay at the castle with her, for she knew that he would not do well there; he was a free spirit, a warrior, an adventurer. The only things that he would find in the castle walls would be restriction and regulation, the very same thing things that she had always known, but managed to tolerate. But even more than that was the matter of the future. Even if she was certain of her newfound feelings for him, then there would be the issue of class standing in between them. It would be so incredibly difficult for them to be together because of her position as a ruler, and the high expectations that were placed upon both her and any potential suitor she might have. She knew that if he felt the same way about her, then it would most likely pain him as much as it would her to see her end up with another man simply because of social status. And the last thing that Zelda wanted to do to Link, after everything he had done for her, was hurt him in such a way. Which was why, as the hero attempted to draw her back into another kiss, the queen slowly placed her fingers gently upon his lips, pushing them away from her as she avoided his confused, suddenly distraught gaze.

"I…I am sorry…" she whispered, her voice quivering on the verge of tears of grief as she broke their embrace. "I… I have made a mistake… Forgive me…"

Link frowned at her as she backed away from him, her light blue eyes seeming to sparkle with oncoming tears. "Zelda?" he asked worriedly, wondering if he had done something wrong.

The queen said nothing more as she turned her back to him and hurried back into the ball room, leaving the hero standing alone and dejected upon the balcony. All he could do was stare despondently in the direction she had headed, too upset and confused to chase after her. Things had been going so well between them earlier; what had gone wrong so suddenly? At the moment, Link didn't really know how to feel; he had thought that Zelda truly did like him, but if she had, then why did she run away like that? He felt as though he had finally gotten somewhere with her, that they had finally gotten to the point that he wanted to be at, but now he wasn't so sure. Perhaps Midna had been wrong after all; perhaps the Queen of Hyrule really did have no time or care to spare on a poor commoner like him.

As this thought struck the hero, he let out a small sigh of grief and hung his head, wishing that their circumstance were so much different. He wished that he was born of royalty like she was, and at the same time, he wished that she was born of peasantry as he was. But in the end, no amount of wishing could change what truly was. They could not be together, and as he stood alone in the freezing air falling snow, the darkness of the night covering him more than the glowing light from inside, he had never felt colder.

However, what Link didn't see was the dark presence looming in the shadows quite close to him, watching with anticipation as the hero mourned the queen's apparent rejection of him. And it was with wicked satisfaction that this presence already began to plan how to use those feelings against them both, waiting for the perfect moment to finally strike.

* * *

**Now, I must say it: Awwwwwwwww and at the same time NO! Seriously, why do I love to emotionally destroy myself like this? But I must say that this chapter was so much fun to write, especially since its main inspiration came from Frozen (in case you didn't notice). Also, just an FYI, that little bit of "ancient Hylian" that the bishop was saying during Zelda's coronation is actually Latin and reads in english as follows: "_In the line of the past kings of Hyrule, in the honor of our proud homeland fair, and in the name of the golden deities of old: Din, Nayru and Farore..." _So yeah, there you have that! As for the next chapter, I think its FINALLY time for the plot to kick into full motion, don't you? I've already established everything I need to for it and so why don't we finally get the ball rolling with a little action, angst, and most of all DRAMA! But for now, please leave me a REVIEW! Until next time! :D**


	10. Queen of Shadows

_Ok folks, well, here it is! The chapter that finally sets our plot in motion! I'm really excited for this chapter, and I am also SUPER excited to see what you think of Verona (since she is AWESOME!) Let's just say that nothing is going to be the same after this chapter, so hooray! Now, thank you to SenileEmu and tearful raindrop for following/favoriting! Now onto the reviews!_

_**Link The Hero of Light**: Yes the did, but of course, reality ruins everything... :(_

_**explodingbunnies52**: You're welcome!_

_**sippurp123**: Glad you liked the Zelink! And yeah, it sucks that she hurt him, even if she didn't really mean to (that will be important later on!) I hate to say that there will be relatively little Zelink in this chapter though... :(_

_**erico637**: Well, its not my intent to say close to canon. After all, this is fanfic, and I think I'm free to break some rules. Plus, the Veran in W&C is not the same Veran that appears in OoA, but an entirely different person/incarnation/whatever. As far as the ultimate source/provider of their power, I actually do plan on better explaining that here in L&S (but I can't say too much about it right now). And in regards to the Triforce discrepancies in W&C, it is my personal theory that Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf all kept their pieces of the Triforce even after time was reversed by Zelda after OoT. After all, why else would the Triforce of Power appeared on Ganondorf's hand during the execution scene? Plus, I'd also like to think that OoT Link and Zelda passed down their pieces to the Link and Zelda of TP. Hope that cleared things up a little!  
_

_**Jarvis ****R. Yeriel:** glad you liked it and YES I am rooting for Verona much more than i ever did for Veress and Veran, mostly because she's less of a B**** and like a thousand times smarter than either of them, something that you will see in this chapter!_

_**ShadowRouge**: Glad you liked it so much (especially the kiss scene! :D_

_**TheJediAvenger**: Yeah, that was pretty freaking tactless of her, wasn't it? And yeah, leave it to Midna to put Link on the spot like that! ;D_

_**RandomButLoved**: Glad you liked all of the references I made! And yeah, I don't think Zelda was rejecting him either, I think she was mostly just afraid of her growing feelings and she didn't want to hurt him just in case they can't be together, which was why she left. And indeed, Verona is coming, and I hope you'll love her as much as I do!_

_Alright. Well, with that all done, let's get stared!_

* * *

_Chapter 9: Queen of Shadows_

"_Destroying things is much easier than making them."  
-Katniss, The Hunger Games_

Midna stood well-concealed within the shadows, making sure to keep a careful eye upon the entire party from her hiding spot as she remained cautiously unseen. She knew that if Verona intended on attacking Hyrule any time soon, now would be a perfect opportunity. After all, both the queen and the hero were clearly distracted, and there was a great deal of important people gathered together for the coronation. The possibility of such an attack was quite high, but fortunately, the Twilight Princess was keeping up a dutiful watch for anything suspicious, even if no one else was.

However, her concentration was suddenly penetrated upon seeing Zelda enter back into ball room from the balcony that her and Link had been alone on, though she returned alone, much to Midna's confusion. A few minutes passed and the hero also stepped back into the room, but he did not go back up towards the throne to join the queen, even though she had invited him to earlier. The Twilight Princess could tell that her former companion was sulking as he slowly headed in the opposite direction, towards the back end of the chamber instead, almost as if he looked like he intended on leaving the party. Curiosity and worry overwhelming her, Midna sunk deeper into the shadows so that she would not have to pass through the thick crowd as she moved undetected towards the hero, joining with his shadow and coming out of it after making sure no one was watching.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked him a bit harshly, believing that he was backing down from interacting with the queen once more.

"I'm leaving," Link said as he continued walking towards the ball room's exit, the slightest hint of bitterness and frustration in his tone.

"What?" Midna asked in complete confusion. "Why? What happened with Zelda?"

"Nothing," the hero said emptily as he was painfully reminded of how she had pulled away from him so suddenly without really explaining why. "Nothing happened."

"That's not what it looked like," the Twilight Princess said, though there was no teasing in her tone this time. "It looked like the two of you were having the time of your lives together earlier! What went wrong?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out…" Link muttered to himself as he sighed and cast a glance over at Zelda's direction as the queen stood near her throne, staring out towards his direction.

As Zelda kept her gaze on Link, even though the entire length of the ball room separated them, she felt a burst of sadness begin to eat away at her heart. A wave of regret washed over her as she realized that she had been far too cold with him, even though that had never been her intent. It was true that she cared for him, but she just didn't have the same kind of courage to pursue such feelings as he seemed to have. Her heart sank as she saw him prepare to leave the ball, and a newfound fear filled her as she wondered if, after how she had treated him, he planned on leaving the castle and returning home as well. A silent gasp escaped her as she thought of this, knowing that having to watch him leave would certainly break her heart. Even though she doubted that they could ever be together as a couple, she still pined for his company above all else. She wanted to have him with her always, to simply know that he would be by her side to comfort her and support her whenever she needed him to. But at the same time, she knew that she was being selfish by planning on forcing him to conform to a life that wasn't his simply for her sake. It wasn't right and she knew that the only condition that she wanted him to stay under would be one in which they were both happy. And so, Zelda took in a deep breath as her sorrow began to turn into determination instead. She was going to find a way around the matter of their differing social classes. She refused to let something as petty and foolish as that get in their way. If both of them wanted to be together, then it would happen, one way or another.

Filled with this newfound resolve, the queen smiled at the hero as their eyes met once more, but for what reason, Link couldn't figure out at all as he simply looked up at her in confusion. Her heart brimming with affection and hope, Zelda decided that she wanted to tell him of her decision immediately, so that he would have no reason to leave her whatsoever.

However, it was only as the queen stepped forward to get to the hero that everything started to go wrong.

All at once, the ground suddenly began to rumble, causing all of the patrons of the ball to stop their dancing and conversing and glance around in confusion. Zelda stopped in her tracks as she noticed the quaking of the earth, her breath catching in her throat as a sudden chill ran up her spine. In one sudden gust of untraceable wind, the chandelier and candles that filled the room with warm, glowing light were suddenly extinguished, leaving an unnatural, shadowy light in its place. Upon seeing this, Link instinctually gripped the hilt of the sheathed Ordon Sword as Midna placed a cautious hand upon his shoulder, both of them already anticipating the worst based on the sudden feeling of darkness and malevolence that had crept into the room. The stirring gale continued throughout the room as the crowds began to grow fearful and nervous, and immediately, all of the nearby guards lining the edges of the room rushed to stand before the queen in order to protect her from any potential harm.

A low, quiet laugh began to fill the ball room, its smooth, feminine sound echoing clearly so that everyone could hear it, especially as it began to increase in volume with each passing second. As it reached its highest volume, it suddenly cut off abruptly as the large doors to the ball room swung open with a loud crash, the violent winds cutting off as well. Since Link was relatively close to the doors, he drew his sword and prepared to attack the intruder, but Midna, already guessing who it was, clenched her grip on his shoulder tightly and protectively, before pulling him back into the crowd so that they would not be seen.

The crowds all turned towards the open doors, mummers and gasps of fear rippling through them as a long figure appeared in the doorway, their form concealed by shadows until they finally, slowly entered the room, taking the entire crowd by shock and surprise at her appearance.

"Verona…" Midna growled under her breath as she sent a hidden glare to her cousin, who, just as she had been expecting, had invaded the castle at the worst possible time. However, as she looked upon the self-proclaimed Queen of Shadows, a burst of fear ran through her as she remembered the brutal beating she had taken from her but the previous day before. Anxiety clouded the normally bold Twilight Princess's thoughts as she shrunk back even further into the crowd, dragging Link along with her even though he didn't want to go and instead wanted to defend against this new foe, especially as she began to make her way towards Zelda. Yet all the same, he did remain still for a moment, as did the queen herself as they took in her imposing appearance.

Even from a first glance, it was clear to see that Verona bore a striking resemblance to Midna; they both had the same pale blue skin, with a shadowy black covering much of their chests in the same way. They were also both quite tall, towering over most people present in the assembly, though it was clear that the Queen of Shadows was taller than even the Twilight Princess, most likely because she was a few years older. Her hair was a fiery shade of scarlet, flowing midway down her back, with some of it tied in front of her in the same fashion as Midna. Verona, on the other hand, had her orange locks hanging down in front of one of her eyes, a single white highlight running through it. Upon her head she wore a simple silver tiara, most likely crafted as a sign of her stolen status as the ruler of the Twilight Realm. She wore large, curved magenta shoulder pads, from which a long black cape hung and dragged long on the ground behind her as she walked. She wore dark blue fingerless gloves, and a flowing, form-fitting skirt that showed off her slender, curvaceous figure and hung down to the floor, blue Twili patterns adorning its black fabric and a banner hanging from it bearing an ominous, elongated crimson eye symbol. In her right hand, she bore a tall, elegant scepter composed of dark metal, with an empty glass orb at its tip. Her dark red lips were curved up into a calm, calculating grin as she kept her one visible red and yellow eye on the front of the room, where the queen, or rather, her throne, were positioned. Overall, Verona had the appearance of one who certainly looked befitting of the tittle "Queen of Shadows"; she was incredibly beautiful in an exotic way, and she had an air of dangerous charisma and confidence to her, her steps echoing loudly throughout the hall as she approached the throne, the crowds parting for her largely out of fear of the power she so clearly wielded.

Despite the wall of guards still standing before Zelda, Verona did not stop her approach, but instead she merely lifted her hand as she headed for them, effortlessly creating a wall of energy and pushing them all aside roughly, as a mere simple show of her magical might. Upon seeing this, Link immediately began to push his way through the nervous crowds, knowing that he had to protect Zelda from this new threat above all else, even despite what had just happened between them. Midna gasped when the hero broke out of her grip, and she carefully began to sift her way through the throng as well, though she made sure to draw very little attention to herself, wanting to stop the hero from doing anything rash.

Verona's silent grin deepened as she finally came to a stop at the bottom of the platform that the throne was one, tapping the bottom of her scepter down upon the ground as she gave the new queen an examining look for a moment, before finally speaking. "Well, well…" she began, her voice smooth and regal, her mysterious grin still apparent. "This is quite the glorious gathering you have here, your highness… Though I would expect nothing less from the great kingdom of Hyrule itself… Oft have my people spoken of the riches and splendor that this land has to offer, and they certainly were not wrong. It's certainly a place with much to offer indeed…" She let out a small laugh, the greed in it quite clear, before she continued. "Oh, but where is my mind? I am being terribly rude… Allow me to introduce myself. I am Verona, Queen of Shadows and Ruler of the Twilight Realm. It is an honor to finally meet you face to face, Princess-or should I say-_Queen_ Zelda…"

"You are not the true ruler of the Twilight Realm," Zelda protested, finally working up the nerve to speak as she forced herself to stand tall and assertive before her foe. "I have heard of how you stole the throne from the rightful Twilight Princess, but you shall not do the same to Hyrule!"

Verona simply raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, her cold smile still not fading as she replied. "Oh, don't fret, your majesty," she said in a falsely benevolent tone. "I do not wish to claim your kingdom… At least not by such barbaric means…"

"Then why have you come here?" the Hylian queen asked suspiciously, not trusting the queen of shadow's supposed sincerity for a minute.

"Well, when I heard of such an important celebration, I knew that I simply could not keep away," Verona said calmly. "After all, considering that the land of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm are so profoundly connected, it would be an absolute insult to both of our kingdoms if I did not make an appearance."

"You are not welcome here," Zelda said, her tone projecting much more confidence and bravery than she was actually feeling, though she knew she had to be strong for her people. "Now leave, and do not return."

The Queen of Shadows' smile finally faded into an insincere look of hurt. "Oh, your highness…" she said patronizingly. "Do not be so tactless… After all, I have simply come to make an alliance with you, not to attack your kingdom. Contrary to what my dear cousin Midna may have told you, I do not bear you or your kingdom any ill will. In fact, there need not be any sort of altercation or violence at all… You may even keep your newfound position and title… So long as you and all your citizens swear your allegiance to me…"

Verona grinned darkly once more, her scarlet eye seeming to shine with greed and desire as she cast a brief glance to the Hyrulian throne behind its proper owner. Zelda clenched her fists tightly at her sides upon hearing this, realizing that she had been in this position before when Zant first attacked. But unlike then, Hyrule's defender was present, and as the queen noticed Link break out of the crowd and come to stand before them, pausing several feet behind Verona and watching her carefully in case she tried to attack, she felt much more safe and secure. "You lied then," she said boldly. "You do intend on conquering Hyrule."

"You misunderstand, your excellence," the Queen of Shadows said with an incline of her head. "I do not wish to conquer your people; I wish to liberate them. I merely want to free them from the bondage that the light of this land has always set them under, and bondage that they never even knew they were a part of. Light has become far too oppressive and stagnant. I believe that both of our kingdoms would prosper greatly from an era in which _shadows_ were revered instead…"

"You speak of upsetting the natural balance between light and shadow, and I shall have no part of it," Zelda proclaimed firmly, holding her ground so that all would see that she was a dedicated, unyielding ruler. "Hyrule shall never ally itself with you, and neither shall any of its citizens!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about _that, _your highness…" Verona said mysteriously as she turned her glance slightly behind her, her eyes locking onto the hero who still stood at the ready to defend against her for the queen's sake if need be. The Queen of Shadow's soft grin deepened as she turned to face Link even more, giving him a long stare that was both examining and piercing at the same time. The hero's sharp glare directed towards her suddenly faded into discomfort upon seeing this, as he felt as though her burning red gaze was searching his very soul. But even so, he did not back down, but kept his sword aloft nonetheless, just in case she decided to bring any form of harm upon Zelda.

After a moment or two later, the Queen of Shadows finally turned to face the Hylian queen once more, her relaxed, easygoing manner still ever present as she casually placed the orb of her staff in her free hand. "But either way, I suppose that if you disagree with my tactics and motivation, there is little I can do…" she said with a relenting sigh. "If that is the case, then there really is no reason for me to be here… I might as well be on my way…"

Zelda was quite taken aback upon hearing this, especially as Verona turned to exit the room in the same way in which she had come in. Why had the Queen of Shadows come at all if she did not even intend to do anything? "R-really?" the Hylian queen asked in clear confusion, as a rumble of equally wondering whispers came from the crowd below.

"Well…" the Queen of Shadows said thoughtfully as she fully faced Zelda once more. "Not quite yet… After all, I would be terribly remiss if I did not offer up a gift in honor of her royal highness's grand coronation…" Having said this, Verona held up her hand and conjured up a small, floating object above it; immediately, Midna recognized it as the strange black shard that the Queen of Shadows had briefly shown off during their battle in the Twilight Realm, but she still had no idea what it really was or what it did. Which was which she was quick to grasp Link firmly by the arm as the hero prepared to leap into action, already knowing how dangerous the ominous item looked.

"Link, wait!" the Twilight Princess whispered sharply so that only the hero would be able to hear her. "I don't know what that thing is, but I can sense a great deal of dark energy coming from it. Don't go and do anything stupid. Just wait a minute and see how this plays out."

"But, Midna, I-" Link's aggravated protest was quickly cut off however as Verona spoke once more, this time her tone taking on even more malice and cruelty as her former polite manner disappeared.

"Now, your highness," she began, an aura of magical shadows surrounding the shard above her hand. "I will make this offer one last time. Surrender Hyrule to me peacefully… or watch it perish because of your own stubbornness… It's your choice."

Zelda took in a silent gasp upon hearing this, her former confidence instantly melting away from such a threat. Like Midna, she was also detecting a great dark power coming from the shard that Verona wielded, and certainly, with power like that, she had the capacity to bring both Hyrule and its queen to her knees in a matter of hours if she really wanted to. However, as fear filled her heart for both herself and her people, the queen happened to look towards the hero, their eyes meeting for just a moment. All at once, everything that had happened on the balcony mere moments ago was forgotten, and it was clear to Zelda that Link's sole intention at the moment was protecting her from Verona, even though she feared that he would get hurt in the process.

However, as the hero looked to the queen, whose lovely blue eyes were wide with clear terror and worry, he felt more compelled than ever before to defend her from any harm whatsoever. He would do anything to keep herself, even throw himself into danger headfirst if he had to. Which was why, even despite Midna's previous warnings and Zelda ever so slightly shaking her head at him, Link decided that he could no longer simply stand by and watch the queen he cared for be threatened in such a way. He stepped out of the Twilight Princess's grip, but before Midna could stop him, he spoke up, prompting her to slip back into the crowd so that Verona would not find her.

"Hey!" the hero shouted firmly to the Queen of Shadows, showing no fear or hesitation in his tone whatsoever. "Leave her alone!"

Still keeping the shard positioned above her palm, Verona slowly turned around to face him, her eye nearly alight with untold excitement as she looked upon him. "Ah…" she cooed, her tone falsely sweet and smooth once more. "Link… The Hero of Twilight… Your name and reputation precedes you… I have heard much of your courageous deeds and I commend you for them. A spirit such as yours is certainly a strong one indeed…"

Link ignored her flattering words as he kept up his stance while both Zelda and Midna watched him worriedly all the while, both of them wishing that he would remain out of harm's way instead of putting himself into blatant danger such as this. "I told you to get away from her!" the hero proclaimed with clear anger, the protection of both the queen and her kingdom at the forefront of his mind. "Or I'll make you!"

The Queen of Shadows simply let out a soft, melodious chuckle at this, the shard seeming to take on an even darker shade as it rested suspended in midair. "Oh, you will?" she asked, though her tone was not doubtful or patronizing, oddly enough. "Well then, go on ahead. I would simply _love_ to see you try…"

Without another word, Verona turned her back to Link, as if she was not concerned with is presence whatsoever. However, as she lifted the shard up into the air, the dark aura surrounding it intensifying even more, the hero received all of the motivation he need to leap into action before it was too late.

"Link, no!" Midna shouted in a panic as he began to rush towards the Queen of Shadows' turned back, but ultimately she was too late, for nothing could have stopped what happened next. For in the end, haste and hesitation were the reasons why it happened in the first place.

Hesitation had kept Zelda frozen in place out of terror as she stood doing nothing while her hero selflessly and blindly rushed to her aid.

Haste had been what had forced Midna into running to the world of light when she should have stood by her people instead of leading her foe to an all new land.

Hesitation had also been what held Midna back out of fear over facing her cruel and violent cousin after what happened the last time the dueled.

But most of all, haste had been what had prompted Link into rushing forward to protect Zelda, having no idea what he was about to get himself into, but instead only caring about doing all he could to save her from a terrible fate, not even knowing that he was about to fall victim to one himself.

For at the very moment that they hero reached the Queen of Shadows, his sword raised and prepared to strike, Verona suddenly spun around in a movement so quick, Link barely even saw it. The Queen of Shadows quickly lowered the shard in her palm, before thrusting her hand forward towards the hero as he was only about a foot away from her, sending the shard his way with an incredible speed. Time itself seemed to come to a crashing halt as the shard struck Link directly in the chest with an immense amount of force, its sharp tip penetrating his chainmail completely and stabbing its way into his skin. His mouth opened in a silent cry of agony as it dug itself into his body deeper and deeper, the puncture wound it had created pouring with blood already. And, when the shard was about halfway embedded into his chest, or more specifically, his heart, Verona's dark grin grew triumphant and wicked as she let out a wave of powerful energy, repelling the hero away from her as he crashed to the ground semi-consciously several feet away.

"Link!" both Zelda and Midna shouted in near perfect unison, both of them shocked and terrified at what they had just witnessed. A wave of panic was rushing through the crowd upon having watched the Queen of Shadows so easily take down the Hero of Twilight himself. If he had been subdued by her power, what hope was there for any of them to stand against it?

Upon hearing the hero let out a sharp cry of pain as the shard dug ever deeper into his chest somehow, the Twilight Princess completely forgot about keeping her cover up and she immediately rushed to his side, ripping her concealing cloak off and not even caring about the frightened whispered from the crowd as she knelt down beside him and looked over him with wide, fearful eyes. All the while, all Link could do was clutch his chest, unable to rip the shard out of himself as it finally embedded itself into his body fully, the skin and tissues over where it had been stabbed somehow magically repairing themselves even though he was still in an incredible amount of anguish. A painful shiver of cold tore through his entire body as it felt as though needles were stabbing him everywhere. He was in so much pain that he could not even think as the world began to grow dark through his vision, but not before his eyes met Zelda's for just a moment, the queen's expression of horror and concern for him quite clear, before he finally blacked out, another moan of agony escaping him first.

"No!" Zelda exclaimed worriedly as she began to rush towards Link and Midna, before Verona erected a clear barrier before her, barring her from leaving the platform and forcing her to only watch with worry.

"Oh, come now, your highness," the Queen of Shadows said to her with a small, teasing laugh. "Don't be so cross. I never said that the gift was for you…"

"What did you to do him!?" the Hylian queen asked anxiously, her eyes not leaving the suffering hero for a second.

Verona ignored her question as she began to saunter over to Link and Midna, her cold smile deepening even more upon seeing her hated cousin. "Ah… Midna…" she said with a hint of clear ire in her tone as the Twilight Princess finally tore her gaze away from the hero and glanced up at the Queen of Shadows fearfully. "I knew you were here somewhere… After all, if it had not been for you, then I would have never found my way here…"

Midna gave her a completely appalled look, having no idea how Verona had even gotten to the world of light in the first place, since the gateway she had made had only lasted long enough for her to get there and no one else. "But… I didn't-" she began to stammer, but the Queen of Shadows simply cut her off with a cruel laugh.

"Now, now, dear cousin," she said patronizingly. "No need to be so alarmed… After all, I think I've changed my mind about killing you, at least for the moment. Instead, I think I'll be content in just… humiliating you a little. And besides, your noble hero is going to need you now more than ever…" With a wicked laugh, Verona lifted her scepter high into the air as a dark glow surrounded it, before aiming it right at the Twilight Princess, a blast of shadow magic escaping from it. Midna only had time to let out a shocked gasp before the dark energy struck her, enveloping her form in its cursing shadows. She let out a small cry of pain, shutting her eyes tightly as the world turned to pitch black and she felt a bitter pain coursing through her. And then, all at once, it was over. The shadows surrounding her disappeared, revealing a form far different from the Twilight Princess's true, beautiful appearance.

The moment Midna opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, she gasped in shock and rage, not even need to look at herself in a mirror to know how she looked now. Zelda took in a sharp gasp upon seeing that the Twilight Princess had been reverted to the same impish form that she had been cursed into by Zant, complete with the Fused Shadow resting upon her head as it always did, save for one of its handles being broken due to Ganondorf breaking the dark relic prior to his defeat.

The now-impish Twilight Princess sent a hateful, enraged glare to her cousin for cursing her into this hated form once more, especially as a few screams of terror came from the crowd behind her for her startling appearance, though she paid them no mind. She had no words to say as she was so angry, not just for this, but for whatever Verona had apparently done to Link. Even though she had embedded the shard into his body somehow, he appeared to have no physical injuries from it, but it was clear, from how his expression was twisted in agony, that it was causing him a great deal of pain from the inside.

As the Queen of Shadows was distracted by taking delight in the fear her magic had stirred up within the crowd, Midna placed her concerns for herself aside as she devoted her all of her worry to the hero instead, gently placing a small hand upon his shoulder as she tried to rouse him awake. "Link, come on," she whispered nervously to him, her voice higher to match her smaller form. "Wake up…"

With a low, barely audible groan, Link, having heard her words, slightly opened his eyes and glanced up at her as she floated near him, not even bothering to acknowledge the fact she was an imp once more as the world blurred through his vision. "M-Midna?" he muttered softly as another unexplainable wave of pain coursed through him. However, he was unable to say anything else as Verona turned her attention back to the two of them. The Twilight Princess was quick to place herself between the Queen of Shadows and the injured hero, just in case she wanted to cause him more harm. However, Verona merely scoffed at her cousin's valiant efforts as she used some simple magic to shove her away from Link, causing her to land on the ground roughly several feet away. With the Twilight Princess out of the way, Verona continued her approach, coming to stand right before the hero as he cast as much of a glare as he was able to up at her.

"Be at ease, dear hero…" she said with an almost benevolent smile. "You'll be thanking me for the wonderful gift that I've given you soon enough…"

Link only had a moment to be confused upon hearing this, before the Triforce of Courage on the back of his hand suddenly emitted a bright, blinding light, sending another burst of pain through his already aching body, however, this was a kind of agony was quite familiar to him. He shut his eyes tightly, instinctually embracing himself for a change he had undergone many times before, but still wasn't used to. The hero was unable to hold back a cry of heavy pain as his body convulsed violently, unable to do anything as his Hylian form gave way to a lupine one once more, though he had absolutely no idea as to what was bringing this transformation about at a time such as this.

Zelda and Midna both let out shocked gasps as they watched with confusion as Link quickly and suddenly shifted from human to wolf once again, both of them having never anticipated that such a thing would occur ever again. However, though the queen was still trapped by the barrier the Queen of Shadows had set up, the Twilight Princess was quick to rise once more and rush towards the hero as the transformation completed and his human cries of pain briefly drifted off into wolfish howling before he fell unconscious from the strain of the shift.

Upon seeing the Hero of Twilight transform into a beast before their very eyes, the crowd finally broke out into an all-out panic, their screams of terror echoing throughout the hall as they all backed away from the hero-turned-wolf out of fear that he would attack them. Zelda finally tore her eyes away from Link upon hearing what some of the dignitaries in the throng were shouting about him, her jaw dropped in shock at some of their accusations. "The hero is a monster!" someone cried in horror. "He'll kill us all!" another person screamed fearfully.

The queen shook her head at these panicked words, knowing that the hero was not the true threat here, but rather the Queen of Shadows who had apparently been the cause of his transformation in the first place. And in light of this, Zelda refused to let this chaos go on any longer. "Wait!" she called out, straining to be heard amidst the cries of the crowd, even though her voice was ultimately lost among them. "He will not harm you! He is not-"

"Let them think what they want, your majesty," Verona cut her off as she turned to face Zelda once more, a sadistic grin on her face as she watched the people quiver with fear. "Who knows? In a few days' time, their fear of him might even become rational…"

The Hylian queen gave her adversary a confused look for a moment before she looked to Link once more, ashamed that she could do nothing to help either him or Midna in light of what had just happened. All she had done during this entire encounter was stand by helplessly and watch with fear as her friends were attacked and cursed, unable to aid them at all. Her heart broke for them both, but especially for the hero as the very people who had applauded his heroism mere hours ago now trembled in terror at the mere sight of him. No matter what she said or did, she was unable to curb their frightened reactions, nor was she able to undo whatever strange, dark magic Verona had cast upon them. Anxiety ate away at Zelda as she looked out across the ballroom, realizing that even though she had been resolved to protect her people, she had been unable to help any of them when they needed her most.

Midna also heard the fearful words of the crowd and, to keep Link safe from any further damage to his once-good reputation, she contorted her magical, long, orange hair into a large hand and placed it in front of her and the unconscious hero, blocking them both from the view of the people. After taking in a leveling breath, the Twilight Princess glared back at her cousin with intense hatred for causing such a catastrophe, but Verona merely let out a small, wicked chuckle as she lifted her staff up yet again.

"Verona!" Midna hissed through her clenched teeth in absolute fury. "You'll pay for this! We won't let you have your way with Hyrule or the Twilight Realm!"

"Oh, really?" the Queen of Shadows asked, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "Because I think I've already gotten my way and then some…" With another smooth, confident laugh, Verona pointed her staff towards Link and Midna once more, and before the Twilight Princess could do anything to stop her magic, it struck both of them, causing them both to completely vanish out of sigh.

"Link!" Zelda exclaimed, no longer able to hold her worry back as she pounded against the barrier as hard as she could, though it did not wield for her. "Midna! What did you do to them?!" she demanded of Verona, glaring bitingly at the Queen of Shadows as she turned away from the place where the hero and the Twilight Princess had once been.

"Oh, don't worry yourself, your highness," Verona said with her constant collected grin. "I merely sent them away for now, so that they will not be here to impede my plans… After all, the easiest coup is one that has relatively little resistance. And I think you've made it _quite _clear that you aren't going to do much to resist me…"

The queen clenched her fists tightly at her sides, a burst of warm fury running through her even though she knew that her foe was right. Even though she wanted to fight back, she knew that she was not strong enough to do so without Link and Midna's help. And of course, Verona had made sure to separate them so that she could claim Hyrule uncontested. Clearly, the Queen of Shadows was a crafty, dangerous enemy indeed, one that they had all severely underestimated.

"Now… I believe that this party is over," Verona said, a hint of darkness entering her elegant tone as she raised her staff yet again as a dark aura surrounded it. With almost no effort at all, she used some of her magic to summon a horde of shadow beasts into the ballroom, eliciting even more fear from the already panicking crowd. Even though Zelda's guards tried to stand up against the monsters, they were quickly disposed of as they began to chase the guests out of the ballroom as the Queen of Shadows desired. After all, she had no use for anyone at the moment, save for the Hylian queen herself, though she knew that the hero would become even more useful to her in time.

Once the guests were finally cleared out of the hall and well on their way out of the castle entirely, the barrier before Zelda finally dissipated. However, before the queen could even attempt to escape, one of Verona's shadow beasts gripped her roughly by both of her arms, firmly restraining her even though she struggled against its hold.

Zelda could do nothing but watch with disgust as Verona sauntered past her and casually took a seat upon _her _throne, giving the Hylian queen a triumphant smile the entire time. "Hyrule is mine now," the Queen of Shadows declared firmly, her red and yellow eye alight with treachery. "But don't worry, Zelda. I won't dispose of you just yet. I need you alive… for now…"

With a cold, patronizing laugh, Verona waved the shadow beast holding the shocked, dismayed Hylian queen away, commanding it to take her away and imprison her in another part of the castle. Zelda said nothing as she was dragged off against her will, but instead she merely closed her eyes and let out a fretful sigh. Her heat and mind were filled with woe and worry for her people and her kingdom, as well as for the Twilight Princess and the hero. In the course of but a few short minutes, what was supposed to be one of the greatest nights of her life had turned into one of the worst. The hard-earned time of peace that Hyrule had been in suddenly shattered all at once, leaving a veil of dread and uncertainty in its place. Zelda had no idea what was to become of Hyrule, Midna, Link, or even herself in light of this new threat, and so, she finally let a few of her pressing tears of mourning over the disaster that had just occurred and how she had failed her people yet again. Once more, she was about to be imprisoned within her own castle as her people were left to an unknown fate; she had let them down before she had even gotten the chance to prove to them that she would be a good queen, and now she feared that she would never get that chance again. And so, the Hylian queen did the only thing she could do as the doors of the once-glowing ballroom slammed shut behind her; she uttered silent prayers to the goddesses for their much-needed aid in this dire plight as her kingdom crumbled all around her once more.

* * *

**Well, I hope you all loved Verona's grand entrance. She is going to be such a fun villain for me to write, but for now, I figured that I'd leave you guys with a ton of unanswered questions, since that's always more fun! As for the next chapter, we'll have some angst, lore, and drama as we take a look at what exactly happened to Link and Midna, as well as foreshadow to what's to come later on! So anyway, for now I wanna go and play the TP Hyrule Warriors pack so i must leave you! Don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time!**


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